


The First Casualty of War

by jdale



Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Angst, Betrayal, Breakfast in Bed, Conspiracy, Cuddling & Snuggling, Death Star, Deception, Double-cross, Established Relationship, False Accusations, Fear of Thunderstorms, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Healing, Force Lightning, Fugitives, Gen, Handmaidens, HoloNet, Illnesses, Impersonation, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Infighting, Interdictors, Interrogation, Jedi Code (Star Wars), Jedi Politics (Star Wars), Kidnapping, LGBTQ Character, Lightsaber Battles, Marriage Proposal, Mental Breakdown, Naboo Culture and Customs (Star Wars), Orbital Bombardment, Political Thriller, Press Conferences, Prophecy of the Chosen One (Star Wars), Rescue Missions, Romance, Self-Doubt, Snark, Space Battles, Suspense, Tickle Fights, Torture, Watching Someone Sleep, implied PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-10-17 03:16:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 103,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20614073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jdale/pseuds/jdale
Summary: When Anakin and Obi-Wan accidentally discover each other's biggest secret, it sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to split the Jedi Order in two. With both factions waging elaborate disinformation campaigns, Darth Sidious finds that, for the first time in decades, he no longer holds all the cards. Will the Sith Grand Plan survive this development—and has Anakin made a mistake by bringing Ahsoka into his confidence?





	1. Chapter 1

Senator Padmé Amidala crossed the threshold into her penthouse suite at the Senate Apartment Complex and promptly collapsed onto the nearest couch, exhausted from a long day arguing against a bill that would authorize production of an additional three million clone troopers. Complicating matters was the fact that her longtime friend and political ally, Senator Bail Organa, and his wife, Breha, had been captured by Confederate forces while leading a relief mission to Eidera.

“Can I get you anything, milady?” Padmé’s handmaiden Dormé asked.

“Just a light supper, Dormé,” Padmé replied wearily. “And have Threepio plug in to recharge. He means well, but I just can’t deal with him tonight.”

A sympathetic smile tugged at the corners of Dormé’s mouth. “Do you anticipate going to bed early, milady?”

Padmé gave a barely perceptible nod as her only response.

“Milady, can you stay awake long enough for me to get you out of that dress?” Dormé requested.

Padmé sighed, heaving herself to her feet. “Yes, Mom.”

“Oh, shut up,” Dormé replied with a grin, moving so that she could reach the zipper at the back of the dress. “You love being pampered.”

The handmaiden made quick work of removing the dress and left to prepare supper while Padmé changed into her nightclothes. Padmé emerged from her changing room in her warmest pajamas a few minutes later and was promptly handed her personal datapad by Dormé.

“A message arrived for you earlier this afternoon, milady,” she said.

Padmé accepted the datapad gratefully and curled up on the couch to read the message, which she suspected was from her secret husband, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. A quick check of the message information confirmed her hunch. After glancing up to confirm that Dormé had left the room, she began to read the message aloud to herself in a soft voice.

“Queen of my heart, it has been far too long since we last laid eyes on each other. My ears yearn for the sweet sound of your voice, my skin for your tender touch. I die a little each day we are apart, only to gain that life back a hundredfold upon our happy reunion. I am now but a day removed from the warm embrace of your arms, sweet Sabé, and I know no better celebration of my safe return than a quiet romantic evening with you, my beloved. Eternally yours, Obi-Wan.”

It took Padmé’s fatigue-addled brain several moments to fully register what she had just read. “Wait a minute,” she muttered to herself when it finally clicked. “Why is Ani sending me love letters from Obi-Wan to Sabé? I wonder if they accidentally picked up each other’s datapads.”

* * *

Anakin was awakened from his slumber aboard the _Resolute_ by the chime of his comlink indicating an incoming transmission. Instantly alert, he used the Force to pull the comlink to himself from where it sat near the entranceway and activated it. Seeing the blue-tinted visage of his wife appear, his expression immediately softened. He reached out with the Force to lock the door to his quarters, ensuring that their communication would go uninterrupted.

“Hey, Angel,” he greeted her.

“Ani, did you happen to pick up Obi-Wan’s datapad by mistake?” Padmé asked.

Anakin’s brow furrowed, and he reached for his datapad with the Force. Activating it, he checked the identification information in the top-right corner of the display and found that the datapad did indeed belong to Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Master who had trained him and was now a member of the Jedi High Council.

“It seems I did,” he remarked. “How did you know?”

“You—well, your datapad—sent me a love letter from Obi-Wan to Sabé,” Padmé explained.

Anakin chuckled softly. “Obi-Wan in love? Never thought I’d see the day…”

“If the letter I received is anything to go by, it appears my handmaiden is quite the lucky lady. Listen to this,” Padmé replied, proceeding to read him the letter in an imitation of Obi-Wan’s clipped Coruscanti accent.

By the time she finished, Anakin was unable to control his laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Padmé asked.

“You trying to sound like Master Obi-Wan,” Anakin explained, still chuckling.

“Oh, come on! It wasn’t _that_ bad!” Padmé protested.

“It really was,” Anakin told her. Seeing her glare, he quickly appended, “I’m just teasing, Angel. Don’t jump down my throat.”

Padmé sighed in exasperation, raising her eyes to the ceiling.

Anakin shook his head in disbelief. “Wow. As far as I knew, Obi-Wan was one of the most Code-abiding Jedi in the whole Order. Where did he learn to write sappy love notes like that?”

Padmé’s only response was a stifled yawn. Almost immediately, Anakin’s expression shifted to one of concern. “You look tired, Angel.”

“I spent all day fighting a proposal that would order more clone troopers,” she explained, “and with Bail having been captured by the Separatists, the anti-war faction was down one of its most influential supporters.”

“Leaving you to carry the bill’s opposition alone,” Anakin finished.

“I had Mon’s help, but her political career is still young,” Padmé responded. “She doesn’t have as much pull with the swing voters because they still see her as untested.”

“Then you’ll be pleased to know that the rescue of Senator Organa and his wife was a success. Obi-Wan and I are escorting them back to Coruscant,” Anakin told her.

A wan smile crossed Padmé’s features. “When do you expect to arrive?”

“About 1600 tomorrow,” Anakin replied. “Debriefings will probably take an hour or two, and then, barring an emergency, Obi-Wan and I are to be given a week’s leave from the front lines.”

“I have to go now, Ani,” Padmé said sadly. “I love you.”

“I love you too. I’ll be home soon, Angel,” Anakin responded, closing the connection.

* * *

Obi-Wan’s meditation was interrupted by the door chime. “Come in,” he called. The door to his quarters opened, and Anakin stepped in carrying Obi-Wan’s datapad.

“It appears we accidentally switched datapads sometime this morning,” Anakin said.

A brief flash of worry crossed Obi-Wan’s face and disappeared just as quickly. He moved to the side table on which Anakin’s datapad lay.

“So we did,” he commented after inspecting the datapad. As he handed Anakin his datapad, Anakin noticed that Obi-Wan seemed a bit ill at ease, probably because of the message he had sent from Anakin’s datapad.

Reaching out with the Force and sensing that he and Obi-Wan were alone, Anakin reached behind him to lock the door. “So, Padmé tells me you’re quite the closet romantic.”

“Pardon?” Though it would have been undetectable to most, Anakin’s strong Force connection to his former master allowed him to sense a slight feeling of distress emanating from the elder Jedi.

“It seems the datapad mix-up caused your love letter to Sabé to be sent to Padmé instead,” Anakin explained.

“You know, then,” Obi-Wan said resignedly.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” Anakin assured him. Suddenly a realization dawned on Anakin. “Oh, dear. If your love note to Sabé went to Padmé, does that mean my love note to Padmé…”

“…went to Sabé? I’d say it’s a distinct possibility,” Obi-Wan concluded. It was about then that his mind caught up with his ears and he did a double take. “Hold on a minute. You’re having a love affair with Senator Amidala?”

Anakin shook his head. “We’re married.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Obi-Wan promised. Raising his eyes skyward, he continued, “Force help us if Master Windu ever gets ahold of this.”

Anakin chuckled wryly. “Let’s try not to think about that.”

“Anakin, if you think we can trust her not to go to the Council with this information, I think it might be a good idea to tell Ahsoka about our relationships so that she doesn’t find out under less favorable circumstances. Do you think we can trust her to keep this information between the five of us?” Obi-Wan suggested, referring to Anakin’s Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano.

“Absolutely,” Anakin affirmed.

Now it was Obi-Wan’s turn to chuckle. “What are the odds that we fall for women who look almost exactly alike?”

“I never would have pegged you for struggling with any aspect of the Code, much less the rule against attachments,” Anakin countered.

“I’m beginning to realize that the Code may be part of the issue with the public perception of the Jedi,” Obi-Wan replied. “Jedi have aspirations and desires just like the rest of the populace, yet the Council asks us to cut ourselves off from such things, which makes the Jedi seem different than the average sentient—”

“—who is usually less willing than a Jedi to accept someone perceived as different,” Anakin finished. “You may be on to something, Master.”

* * *

Padmé was struggling to stay awake when Dormé returned with the senator’s meal, a small leg of shaak and a glass of Alderaanian claret.

“Thank you, Dormé,” she said sleepily.

The apartment door opened to reveal Sabé, Padmé’s longest-serving and most trusted handmaiden. “Milady—”

Padmé held up a hand to stop her. “Leave us, Dormé.”

“Yes, milady,” Dormé said.

When the younger handmaiden had departed, Padmé motioned for Sabé to join her on the sofa. “Let me guess. You received Anakin Skywalker’s love letter to me.”

Sabé’s eyebrows rose in surprise and confusion. “Why, yes.”

“I received Obi-Wan Kenobi’s love letter to you,” Padmé replied by way of explanation, handing Sabé her datapad. “It seems Anakin and Obi-Wan picked up each other’s datapads.”

“Did you already know about me and Obi-Wan?” Sabé asked.

Padmé shook her head. “Did you already know about me and Anakin?”

“No,” Sabé replied. “Do you think they knew about each other?”

Padmé shook her head again. “Anakin was utterly shocked at the idea of Obi-Wan breaking the Jedi Code. Whether Obi-Wan already knew or suspected, I don’t know.”

“He didn’t mention anything to me about it if he did,” Sabé told her.

With a weary sigh, Padmé allowed herself to sink deeper into the sofa’s cushions. “Well, as close as we are to each other, I think it’s probably for the best that we both found out about the other’s secret relationship and can trust each other with that secret.”

Sabé began to laugh. “I find it absolutely amazing that neither couple managed to encounter the other by chance while both Anakin and Obi-Wan were on leave.”

“Speaking of leave, I commed Anakin when I realized what must have happened for me to have received Obi-Wan’s love letter to you so that any further embarrassment could be avoided. Anakin mentioned that he and Obi-Wan are scheduled to return tomorrow between 1700 and 1800 and will be given a week’s leave,” Padmé informed her. “Obi-Wan didn’t mention that in his love letter. He just said that he is ‘but a day removed from the warm embrace of your arms.’”

Sabé smiled to herself dreamily. “You’d never guess it from the stoic Jedi exterior he puts up for the HoloNet, but he’s actually quite the charmer.”

“I can certainly guess from the love letter he wrote you and accidentally sent to me,” Padmé replied. “Sometimes I wish Anakin could be romantic like that, but then I remember that part of the reason I fell in love with him was precisely because his attempts at being romantic were so amusingly unsuccessful.”

“We’ve got it _bad_,” Sabé remarked, causing both girls to erupt in peals of laughter.

The sudden outburst brought Dormé back into the room. “What’s so funny, you two?”

Sabé waved her hand dismissively. “Boys. You wouldn’t understand, Dormé.”

Dormé heaved a sigh. “Is there anything else I can get you, milady?”

“Perhaps another glass of wine,” Padmé requested. “Other than that, I’ll be going to bed pretty soon, so you’re free to spend the rest of the night as you please. I think I heard Saché prattling on about some new club that just opened recently,” she added, referring to Dormé’s fellow handmaiden and, Padmé suspected, soon-to-be fiancée.

Dormé giggled. “Yes, milady.”

* * *

The door to Obi-Wan’s quarters chimed, signaling Ahsoka’s arrival. “Come in,” Obi-Wan called. The door opened and Ahsoka stepped inside.

“You sent for me, Masters?” she said.

Anakin nodded. “Lock the door behind you, Snips.”

Frowning, Ahsoka did as requested. “Alright, now I’m convinced something’s up. What gives, Skyguy?”

“Snips, what I am about to tell you cannot leave this room,” Anakin informed her. Seeing Ahsoka nod, he continued, “I mean it, Ahsoka, you can’t tell anyone. Not Barriss, not Rex—”

“Ahsoka, we’re telling you this information now so that you don’t find out under less favorable circumstances,” Obi-Wan interrupted, shooting Anakin a look that said, ‘I think she gets the point.’

“Obi-Wan and I are breaking the Code. We’re in love,” Anakin told her.

A moment of stunned silence, then Ahsoka burst out laughing. “Obi-Wan Kenobi breaking the Code, that’s a good one, Skyguy!” When she realized neither of the two had joined in the laughter, she stopped just as quickly as she had started. “This isn’t a joke, is it?” she asked, trepidation evident in her voice.

Anakin shook his head slowly. “Senator Amidala and I are married.”

“I’m having a love affair with the senator’s handmaiden Sabé,” Obi-Wan added.

Ahsoka bit her lip. “I’m not really sure what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Anakin replied. “Just keep this to yourself.”

Ahsoka nodded. “Yes, Master.”


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka stood before the Jedi Council giving their report on the mission to break the Confederate siege of Eidera and rescue Senator Organa and his wife.

“We received only reluctant cooperation from the planetary militia,” Ahsoka informed the Council. “It seemed that they only accepted our assistance because they knew how slim their chances of driving off the Separatists without our help were.”

“So you’re telling us they didn’t want the Republic on Eidera, but they accepted our help because they wanted the Confederacy even less,” Master Windu summarized.

Anakin shook his head. “I think it would be more accurate to say that they didn’t want the Jedi on Eidera, Masters. They seemed to have no objection to the presence of Senator Organa and his relief efforts.”

“Give reasons for this, did they?” Master Yoda asked.

“No, but I suspect it may have something to do with the xenophobia inherent in most sentients’ thought patterns,” Obi-Wan replied.

Windu raised one eyebrow. “Then their reluctance to accept aid was largely because of Padawan Tano’s presence.”

“I don’t mean species-based xenophobia, Master Windu,” Obi-Wan corrected. “I mean that the galactic populace sees the Jedi as being different from themselves because they have difficulty finding common ground with us.”

“How so?” Master Mundi asked.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, choosing his next words carefully. “Most sentient beings by their nature are very emotional and act on their emotions. The Jedi are taught to act rationally and release their emotions into the Force.”

“Because the Jedi show emotion so rarely, the public comes to believe we have no emotions,” Master Fisto mused, nodding his head slowly. “They think of us as being barely above the level of a droid in terms of personality.”

“What do you expect us to do about it?” Windu shot back. “Over-reliance on emotion is the path to the Dark Side.”

“Public opinion is turning against us, Mace. Don’t underestimate its power,” Fisto warned.

“You are talking about changing the Jedi Code itself. There may be areas where we can make concessions in order to appease the public, but this is not one of them,” Windu declared emphatically.

“Have you considered,” Master Allie broke in, “that the choice may no longer be ours to make? The galaxy has changed; the Jedi have not. I fear that the Order as a whole, and the Council in particular, has lost the ability to consider alternative perspectives to their own! Maybe attachment isn’t always as bad as—”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Master Kolar shouted. “Give me one example, I dare you, one example of a time when attachment—”

“Blue Shadow Virus,” Obi-Wan stated plainly.

The eyes of Obi-Wan’s fellow High Councilors fell on him in stunned silence. “Oh, I can’t _wait_ to hear this one,” Windu said skeptically.

“If not for Anakin’s attachment to his Padawan, she would not be standing here before you,” Obi-Wan explained. “His attachment drove him to continue the search for a cure long after most other Jedi would have abandoned the bunker’s occupants to their fate.”

“He didn’t even know for sure that this supposed ‘cure’ would actually work, and he bet the lives of the _entire population of Naboo_ that he could find it and get off Iego, and that it would actually cure the virus,” Windu countered. “That hardly sounds like the Jedi way to me.”

“The whole point of this discussion is that the Jedi way isn’t infallible,” Obi-Wan replied. “If not for Anakin’s actions, the Order would have lost one of its most promising Padawans, the anti-war faction in the Senate would have lost one of its most vocal supporters and her top aide, and the GAR would have lost a squad of its most experienced clone troopers.”

“None of those are indispensable, and they certainly aren’t worth the risk of _rendering an entire planet uninhabitable_,” Kolar declared.

“You’re missing the _point_, Agen!” Allie shouted. In a calmer voice, she continued, “Sometimes the rational course of action isn’t always best. Eleven people would be dead right now that survived because Anakin refused to give up hope when all seemed lost.”

“You’re making my point for me,” Kolar retorted. “If his efforts had been unsuccessful, you would have been calling for his head on a platter. The fact that his gamble paid off is clouding your judgment. Nine times out of ten, this mission would fail. The fact that this happened to be the one time it didn’t shouldn’t change how his actions are judged!”

“And that is the _fundamental flaw_ in your reasoning!” Allie claimed. “There’s always a way as long as even one person believes there is!”

“Don’t delude yourself, Stass,” Kolar told her. “He got lucky, and luck is not something a Jedi should rely on to pull themselves out of sticky situations.”

“She never said it was,” Fisto pointed out. “She simply acknowledged the fact that even a small possibility of success is enough to justify making the attempt when the alternative is certain failure.”

“Perhaps that’s so if the cost of the failed attempt is no worse than the outcome that would result from not making the attempt, but in this case an unsuccessful attempt leads to a much worse outcome than no attempt at all,” Windu countered. “The cost of failure is so high and the odds of success so low that there is simply no way to justify the attempt.”

“Furthermore, that which is gained by success is equal to that which is lost by making no attempt, both of which are insignificant compared to that which is lost by failure,” Kolar added.

“And that coldly logical assessment of the situation is all well and good when dealing with other coldly logical entities, but the galactic citizenry is far from coldly logical, and that’s why the Jedi are being viewed with suspicion,” Obi-Wan replied. “They see us as heartless beings who are all too willing to sacrifice innocent lives when saving them runs counter to our objectives.”

“This is different. Everyone in that bunker knew what they signed up for,” Windu reasoned.

“Is it really, though?” Allie asked. “Had the search for a cure been called off, wouldn’t it have been just another case of Jedi leaving people to die simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

“There was always a risk of the virus being released, and everyone on that mission knew or, at the very least, should have known that if it was released, they may have to die inside that bunker to prevent all of Naboo from being infected,” Windu explained. “There is a difference between being in the wrong place at the wrong time and fulfilling one’s duty to die for the Republic rather than see it come to harm.”

“And that may be true if this situation had unfolded on a key world like Kuat or Coruscant, but when you get right down to it, the only thing the Confederacy gains by rendering Naboo uninhabitable is a propaganda victory!” Allie countered. “And seeing as Naboo is also the chancellor’s homeworld, it may earn them a retaliatory strike against Dooku’s homeworld of Serenno!”

“Not just a propaganda victory,” Windu noted. “A strengthening of the Dark Side by the millions of deaths that would result!”

“Still, the strategic importance of Naboo is minimal enough that the Republic can easily rebound from the loss, and besides, the only major complication they encountered was getting past the Confederate air-defense system, the presence of which they only discovered _after_ they were in possession of the cure!” Allie responded.

“Listen to yourself! You are talking about risking a _mass extinction event_ to save eleven people!” Kolar interrupted. “And you, who contend that the Jedi are too willing to sacrifice innocent lives, have just stated that you are willing to sacrifice an _entire planet_ of innocents to achieve a goal that, by your own admission, is utterly insignificant in the grand scheme of the war! Senator Amidala would be _aghast_ at your willingness to murder her people!”

“Even the senator herself was calling for Skywalker to abandon his search for a cure and seal the bunker to prevent the virus’ escape!” Windu added. “He’s listened to her advice in the past. Why didn’t he do so this time?”

“Let’s put aside the ‘what if’ scenarios and address what actually happened,” Obi-Wan suggested.

“The ‘what if’ is a vital part of evaluating Skywalker’s actions here!” Windu contended. “The fact that his gambit succeeded is causing you to grossly underestimate just how big of a risk he was taking.”

“Your _fear_ of Anakin and his abilities is causing you to grossly _over_estimate how big of a risk he was taking in an attempt to discredit him!” Allie accused.

“Do you seriously think I am _afraid_ of Anakin Skywalker?” Windu asked in disbelief. “Am I concerned about his recklessness? Absolutely. Am I _afraid_ of him? Certainly not!”

“Fear leads to anger, Mace,” Fisto noted. “You seem quite angry at the moment.”

“All of you seem to have forgotten that there would still have been ample opportunity to seal the bunker had our search for a cure come up empty-handed!” Anakin reminded them, forced to shout so that he could be heard over the din of the argument.

“You still didn’t know whether reeksa root would actually cure the virus, only that it _might!_” Windu pointed out. “Suppose you had returned with the reeksa root, administered it to the infected individuals, and found that they didn’t recover?”

“As you’ll recall, we entered the bunker wearing biohazard suits, closed it behind us, kept the biohazard suits on while we administered the reeksa root, and only allowed them to exit the bunker once we were certain they had recovered,” Anakin said. “If they hadn’t recovered, we would have left them behind in the bunker and sealed it on our way out.”

“In the face of that logic, I hardly see how continuing the search for a cure was an unwise course of action,” Allie agreed.

“And _that_ is the fundamental flaw in _your_ reasoning,” Kolar broke in. “If what Skywalker says is true, Master Allie, then there was nothing to be lost by continuing the search for a cure. The rational decision within those parameters would be to continue the search. I therefore contend that, although Skywalker’s attachment to his Padawan may have led him to arrive at that conclusion more quickly, a logical evaluation of the situation would have led to the same conclusion and thus the same outcome. I therefore fail to see how Skywalker’s attachment to his Padawan proved beneficial in this situation.”

“You said it yourself: it allowed him to reach his decision more quickly,” Fisto pointed out. “Time saves lives when diseases are involved. The delay caused by stopping to analyze the situation could have caused the bunker’s occupants to die before Anakin returned with the cure.”

“Unless Skywalker’s mental processes were incredibly slow, which we all know they are not, the additional time required to logically assess the situation would be insignificant,” Kolar responded.

“In a situation like this one, maybe, but what about on the battlefield?” Allie countered. “There can be no time for second-guessing in the heat of battle.”

“In the heat of battle, a Jedi must trust in the Force to show them the correct path,” Windu replied.

“Why trust the Force in a battlefield situation but not here?” Fisto asked. “Anakin trusted the Force to show him the correct course of action, and it did.”

“A Jedi must not become overly reliant on the Force to guide their actions for them lest they be unable to make decisions for themselves when the Force does not show them a path,” Windu advised. “On the battlefield, when time is in short supply, our own mental capabilities cannot react quickly enough to provide our own guidance to supplement that given us by the Force. When the time available is sufficient for us to conduct our own analysis, we should do so.”

“But if the Force does show us a path, why not take it?” Obi-Wan replied.

“The reemergence of the Sith has affected our ability to sense the Force,” Windu replied. “If the time is available for us to draw our own conclusions, there is no reason to risk that Dark influences are clouding our interpretation of what the Force is trying to tell us.”

“And if the course of action our analysis presents differs from that shown to us by the Force, which do you suggest we enact?” Allie pressed.

“We’re getting off topic,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “In response to your assertion that continuing the search was the logical course of action, Master Kolar: I am willing to concede Master Windu’s point that we had no way to be certain that the reeksa root would be an effective cure. I am also willing to concede that there was no guarantee we would be able to find a way to bypass the Separatist defenses preventing us from leaving Iego. I therefore contend that the most logical course of action would be to abandon what was essentially a wild bantha chase, rejoin the fleet, and proceed to Ryloth as ordered.”

“That operation wasn’t particularly time-sensitive,” Windu countered. “A delay could be afforded to save the life of one of the Order’s staunchest supporters in the Senate.”

“You said yourself that there was no guarantee the search for a cure would be successful,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “If it hadn’t been, you would have been decrying the delay as prolonging the suffering of the people of Ryloth at the hands of the Separatists.”

“A difference of one day in the end of a months-long occupation bears little significance,” Kolar replied.

“If we’d been unable to break through the Separatists’ defenses, a one-day detour could have easily stretched into our being stranded on Iego for weeks or months,” Obi-Wan responded, “or in the worst case, we could have been killed in an unsuccessful breakthrough attempt.”

“You speak as if that was a legitimate possibility, which I highly doubt,” Windu scoffed. “The two of you possess almost as much ingenuity as the rest of the Order combined, and certainly enough to get past an automated defense network.”

“Their battle droids leave something to be desired, but how many times have you faced a Separatist force led by a sentient commander?” Allie challenged. “Their commanders are equally as skilled in the art of war as the Jedi.”

Windu raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Without the Force? You can’t possibly be serious, Master Allie.”

“The fact remains that we cannot assume that bypassing the defense grid would cause no significant delay ten times out of ten,” Allie said.

“Yes, but I believe we can presume that it would cause no significant delay in the majority of cases,” Kolar responded.

“Even if the delay wasn’t ‘significant’ in terms of liberating the Twi’leks, a delay of even a few hours could have allowed Wat Tambor to slip through our fingers, so I don’t think any delay can be considered ‘insignificant’ in that context,” Fisto injected.

“Tambor didn’t start his evacuation until his forces were on the verge of defeat,” Windu countered. “The whole timeframe of the Battle of Ryloth would have shifted accordingly had the fleet’s arrival been delayed.”

“Which could have allowed Confederate reinforcements to arrive in time to prevent our fleet from breaching the blockade,” Obi-Wan noted.

“The Separatists never intended to send reinforcements,” Kolar shot back. “They thought the forces already there were sufficient.”

“We don’t know that for certain,” Allie put in. “It’s possible reinforcements they intended to send to Ryloth were waylaid on their way there. A delay could have allowed those reinforcements to arrive during the battle instead of the battle already being over by the time they were able to continue on to Ryloth.”

“Assuming these hypothetical reinforcements actually existed—” Kolar began.

“Whether or not they actually existed is irrelevant,” Allie interrupted. “The important point is that they could have existed. We are trying to determine whether Anakin’s decision to continue searching for a cure to the Blue Shadow Virus was the logical course of action. He didn’t have any information about possible Separatist reinforcements arriving on Ryloth when he made the decision, so we have to assume the worst-case scenario.”

“You can’t just start changing the circumstances of the situation to make a point,” Windu objected.

“We have to put ourselves in Anakin’s shoes and determine what the logical course of action would have been based on only the information that was known to him at the time,” Allie riposted.

“Also keep in mind that Anakin’s trip to Iego was undertaken in direct disobedience of his orders,” Fisto noted. “That has to be taken into account as well.”

“Then you propose we have Skywalker court-martialed?” Kolar asked by way of clarification.

“No!” Allie shouted in disbelief. “The whole point of this discussion has been that the purely logical course of action isn’t always the best!”

“Except when it is, and it saves the life of one of the two remaining senators who are truly pro-Jedi,” Kolar replied.

“We got lucky,” Obi-Wan admitted. “You said it yourself, Agen, Jedi should not make a habit out of relying on luck.”

“The hypothetical Separatist fleet arriving to reinforce Ryloth never existed,” Windu declared.

“But Anakin didn’t know that at the time, so he would have had to consider the possibility that it did had he made a rational assessment of the situation,” Allie contended. “You were the one who brought hypotheticals into this discussion. You can’t just shoo them out as soon as they no longer support the point you’re trying to make.”

“Yes, but I was simply considering repetition of the same decision-making tree under the same conditions,” Windu defended. “You propose changing the parameters of the situation because what actually happened doesn’t fit your argument.”

“You advocated analyzing Anakin’s actions independently of their outcome,” Fisto noted. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. Considering only the information that was available to him at the time he made the decision and disregarding the outcome of his actions, he acted rashly and illogically, jeopardizing the liberation of Ryloth in order to save his terminally ill Padawan.”

“Padawan Tano proved pivotal to the liberation of Ryloth,” Kolar pointed out. “Factor into your analysis of Skywalker’s decision the fact that Tano’s absence at Ryloth may have jeopardized the success of the operation just as much as Separatist reinforcements arriving during the battle would have, or at a very minimum the possibility that Skywalker may have believed this to be the case, even if it was not.”

“Which would be evidence that Anakin’s attachment led him to attempt the ultimately successful mission to find a cure for the Blue Shadow Virus when another Jedi would not have done so!” Allie retorted.

Yoda tapped his gimer stick on the floor, ending the argument before it could escalate further. “Meditate on this, we must. At a later meeting, return to this topic, we will.”

“Master Kenobi, Jedi Skywalker, Padawan Tano, all of you have one standard week’s leave,” Windu told them. “Keep your comlinks turned on in case an emergency arises and we have to recall you early.”

Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan bowed. “Yes, Master,” they said in unison.

“Adjourned, this meeting is,” Yoda stated. The members of the Council began to file out of the chamber.

* * *

“And so then Mace gets all defensive and goes, ‘What do you _expect_ us to _do about it?_ Over-_reliance_ on _emotion_ is the path to the _Dark Side!_’” Obi-Wan repeated.

“He says while screaming at the top of his lungs,” Anakin deadpanned.

Padmé and Sabé were howling with laughter as they listened to the pair’s rendition of the Council meeting.

“I certainly can’t dispute Master Fisto’s point,” Padmé admitted. “Bail’s told me on a number of occasions that many of his colleagues in the Alderaanian delegation have commented that some of our failings in this war have come on missions that they thought required a more personal touch than a Jedi could provide.”

“Such as?” Obi-Wan asked.

“He didn’t mention any in particular, but he did say that he personally disagreed with that assessment,” Padmé replied. “He also noted that he once had to release an aide from his service after she made a rather distasteful joke about the phonetic similarity between ‘Obi-Wan’ and ‘OB-1.’”

“If I ever get my hands on that girl…” Sabé muttered.

“I’d like to think Obi-Wan and I are pretty good at ‘personal touch,’ but I’ll admit there are definitely Jedi who leave something to be desired in that regard,” Anakin put in before Obi-Wan or Padmé could formulate a reply to Sabé’s implied threat.

“Master Kolar comes to mind,” Obi-Wan agreed.

“If I didn’t know better, Master Kenobi, I’d say you’re beginning to doubt some of the Order’s teachings,” Padmé said.

“I’ll let my affair speak for itself on that point,” Obi-Wan replied noncommittally, struggling to keep a straight face. When the ensuing laughter died down, he continued, “All kidding aside, though, I’m quite concerned about the effect the Council’s rigidity is having on public opinion of the Jedi.”

“So I take it you’re hoping to try and steer the Council toward considering change?” Sabé asked.

Obi-Wan nodded. “As I mentioned, Master Fisto at least seems to grasp the issue and understand that it has to be addressed, even if he may not be sure of the best way to go about it—not that I’m necessarily convinced there _is_ a ‘best’ way, but there are almost certainly some ways that would be better than others.”

“I sensed that Master Allie may have a more concrete idea of how she thinks we should go about it,” Anakin told him.

“I also got the impression that, while they hadn’t considered it until then, Masters Mundi, Koon, and Ti would be open to persuasion,” Obi-Wan added, “although I doubt they’ll address a matter like this that could potentially reshape the face of the Order without first filling the vacancy left by Master Piell’s death.”

“Who do you think they’ll nominate?” Anakin asked.

“I can think of a number of masters who would be deserving of the honor, but I suspect the position will go to Master Unduli,” Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin nodded slowly. “She would be a wise choice, and one I suspect all sides will be able to agree upon.”

“And they say the Order isn’t a political body,” Padmé joked.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “People still believe that? Are you kidding me? The Jedi Order has been crippled by its own internal politicking for _years_.”

“She was being sarcastic, Obi-Wan,” Sabé reminded him.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, playfully giving Sabé a gentle Force push on the forehead.

“Hey! No fair using the Force!” Sabé protested, kicking him in the shin and quickly scampering deeper into the penthouse to avoid retribution.

Obi-Wan harrumphed softly before rising from the sofa in hot pursuit.

Watching from the sofa on the opposite side of the sitting room, Padmé smiled. “What are we gonna do with them?”

“Ah, let ‘em have their fun, but be ready to intervene if things start getting too out of hand,” Anakin replied.

Alone with her husband, Padmé let her politician’s mask drop and was quickly overcome by the stress of the day’s Senate session. She heaved a sigh, her whole body seeming to droop forward.

“Hold me, Ani,” she murmured.

A smile tugged at the corners of Anakin’s mouth as he took his wife’s small frame into his strong arms, pressing a soft kiss to her scalp. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips as she burrowed deeper into the folds of his Jedi robes.

“I’m worried about you, Angel,” Anakin whispered. “The strain of fighting for peace in the Senate has been getting to you these past few days.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can do it, Ani,” Padmé confided.

Anakin was stunned. Padmé Amidala, the Senate’s most ardent pacifist—his Angel—was ready to _give up_ on trying to end the war without further bloodshed?

“I’m here now, Angel,” he said soothingly. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

It was a lie, they both knew that, but Padmé’s jumbled psyche needed the comfort too much to call him on it. In an effort to convince herself, she allowed the day’s troubles to slip out of her mind and nestled her head into the crook of his arm with a contented sigh.

Tenderly Anakin slipped his other arm behind her knees and lifted her in a bridal carry, craning his head down to plant a kiss at the base of her neck. In response, Padmé inclined her head slightly to lay a kiss on his jaw.

“I love you, Angel,” Anakin whispered.

The feel of his hot breath on the skin of her ear sent a shiver down Padmé’s spine.

“I thought the Jedi weren’t supposed to love,” she replied sultrily.

Anakin’s face broke into a wide grin. “I’m not a typical Jedi.”


	3. Chapter 3

Obi-Wan awoke the next morning to feel a familiar weight pressed against his chest. “Morning, sleepyhead,” Sabé greeted him, planting a kiss on the tip of his nose.

Smiling, he wrapped his arms around her lithe form and, without warning, flipped them over so that he now lay on top of her. Before she could react, he crushed his lips against hers in a searing kiss, running his hands through her hair as he did so.

When they came up for air almost a minute later, Sabé began to chuckle softly. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Master Jedi, but I was hoping to surprise Anakin and Padmé by having breakfast ready when they wake up.”

Obi-Wan slid off the side of the bed and knelt to retrieve his Jedi robes from where they had fallen on the floor the previous night. “As you wish, milady.”

The pair dressed quickly and proceeded into the kitchen, being careful not to wake Anakin and Padmé.

“So where do we start?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Just follow my lead,” Sabé advised.

* * *

Padmé was awakened by the loud blaring of her alarm. Grumbling under her breath, she slapped the offending object roughly and was disconcerted to find that it refused to shut off.

“Wait a minute,” she realized, blinking several times, “I don’t remember turning this on last night.”

A voice from the doorway pulled her attention away from the conundrum. “Morning, Angel,” Anakin greeted her. “I’m done in the ‘fresher. You looked like you needed the sleep, so I figured I’d let you wake up on your own. Sabé and Obi-Wan are making breakfast. It should be ready in the next few minutes.”

“Did you turn the alarm on last night, Ani?” Padmé asked.

Anakin shook his head. “You probably heard the oven timer.”

Padmé smiled sheepishly, realizing her mistake. “Yeah, I probably did.”

Anakin held out a hand to help Padmé out of bed. She accepted it and pulled herself to her feet, dragging the bedsheets with her. Anakin raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“We’ll deal with that later,” Padmé said, disentangling her legs from the duvet. “Right now, I smell food.”

With that, she swept past her husband and into the main room, leaving him staring at the bed in amused disbelief. He shrugged and followed her to breakfast.

Obi-Wan and Sabé had already laid out four place settings when they arrived. Padmé promptly sat down and sampled the breakfast. As the first of the meal passed her lips, she closed her eyes and emitted a low moan of pleasure, her back arching as she did so. Obi-Wan’s eyebrows shot nearly to his hairline.

“You’ll get used to it,” Anakin assured him. “Trust me.”

“Boy, did I fall in with a weird bunch,” Obi-Wan muttered.

“That’s why you love us, dear,” Sabé replied.

“Don’t remind me,” Obi-Wan shot back, eliciting a round of laughter.

“So, anything on the agenda for today?” Anakin asked.

Padmé sighed. “Well, the Senate’s not in session today, but I’m meeting with Bail at 1400 to discuss whether there are any possible alternatives to more clone troopers.”

“Have they considered supplementing the clone troopers with volunteers?” Sabé suggested.

Padmé shook her head. “It would be too much trouble to reconfigure equipment for use by non-humans, and to only accept human or near-human volunteers would be discrimination.”

“Well, I don’t think anyone’s denying that we have to continue increasing our ranks to counter the Separatists’ continued production of battle droids, but the InterGalactic Banking Clan is backing the Separatists,” Anakin noted. “If the Republic survives this war, I don’t know what we’re going to do about all the debt we’re racking up with the continual orders for more clones.”

“If we win, we’ll probably make the Separatists pay reparations and use that to cover our war debt,” Obi-Wan proposed.

“Assuming the Separatists, or more accurately, the Banking Clan, survive the war,” Anakin replied. “Otherwise, they’ll have no money to pay reparations.”

“Can we _please_ not talk politics?” Padmé requested. “I spend most of my time talking about it in the Senate; I’d really rather not talk about it while I’m off-duty.”

“Well, if you’re going to be tied up in Senate business most of the afternoon, I’ll probably head back to the Temple at some point to pick up that new motion sensor for Artoo,” Anakin said.

“I’m hoping our meeting won’t last any more than an hour,” Padmé told him.

“Just to clear a few things up, is there any truth to the HoloNet rumors that you’re having an illicit affair with Senator Organa?” Sabé asked playfully.

“No!” Padmé shot back in a mock-offended tone. “I am absolutely shocked to find that you of all people actually believe that garbage.”

“That one mostly seems to come from people who are looking to stir up controversy,” Sabé replied. “Some of the less extreme outlets have dismissed the theory on the basis that Senator Organa doesn’t seem to be the type to break his marriage vows.”

“On Alderaan, the scandal that would result from one of the royals having an extramarital affair would be second only to one of them being assassinated,” Obi-Wan agreed.

“On a different note,” Padmé broke in, “I think it might be a wise idea to fill the rest of my handmaidens in on our secret so that they don’t discover it accidentally.”

Obi-Wan slapped his forehead in sudden remembrance. “I would have forgotten to mention it had you not just brought that up, but Anakin and I advised Ahsoka of our relationships.”

“You don’t anticipate any of them will react negatively to finding out their boss is breaking the rules?” Anakin asked.

Padmé shook her head. “Love is sacred to the Naboo. Take Dormé and Saché, for instance.”

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows rose. “That’s an unlikely couple.”

Sabé chuckled. “We all thought so too at first, but they’re good for each other. Dormé tempers some of Saché’s wilder tendencies, but at the same time, Saché helps to bring Dormé out of her shell.”

“Anyhow, as I was saying, many planets would frown on a romantic relationship between two of their senator’s bodyguards,” Padmé continued. “Some cultures think falling in love is a choice. On Naboo, we understand that that is not the case. As long as they remain professional while on duty, which they have never had a problem doing, there is no reason why either of them should have to be reassigned, and as a matter of fact, separating them is probably one of the worst things we could do.”

“Padmé,” Obi-Wan began, changing the subject, “can you think of anything else I can say to the Council to convince them that the Order has to adapt to the times or be made obsolete?”

Padmé shook her head sadly. “Unfortunately, nothing you say will convince them if they’re too closed-minded to recognize the truth staring them right in the face. From what you’ve told me, Masters Allie and Fisto seem to recognize that truth, and Masters Windu and Kolar do not. From personal experience, Master Yoda seems to fall in Windu’s camp.”

Anakin nodded. “From his perspective, the current practices have served the Order well for all eight-hundred-some years he’s been a member, so why change now?”

“I anticipate that Master Rancisis will hold a similar viewpoint,” Obi-Wan added. “He just passed 175 a few years ago.”

“Okay, so thus far, that’s three in favor of reform and four opposed. The High Council is made up of twelve members, correct?” Padmé asked.

“Twelve seats, one of which is currently vacant,” Obi-Wan amended. “As I said last night, though, I doubt the Council will undertake consideration of an issue this divisive without filling the vacancy.”

“Of the four remaining seated Councilors, are all four potentially up for grabs, or are some more likely to vote one way or the other?” Padmé continued.

“I think it’s safe to put Master Tiin in the opposed-to-reform camp,” Anakin commented.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. “Masters Mundi, Koon, and Ti could all go either way.”

“That makes five opposed right off the bat,” Padmé noted. “What about the vacancy? If you’re correct in thinking they’ll fill it before any potential vote, who would be the most likely candidate at this juncture?”

“Master Unduli,” Obi-Wan replied. “She could also go either way.”

“Any other possibilities?” Padmé queried.

“I suppose Master Secura, but she’s probably too pro-reform to get the right-wing vote,” Obi-Wan told her.

“What about Master Kcaj?” Anakin suggested. “He seems moderate enough to get votes from both sides of the aisle.”

“Either way, if the conservatives already have five in the bag, you need all of the remaining votes to go in favor of reform just to get a simple majority,” Padmé summarized. “If passing this sort of change requires any type of a supermajority, there’s no way you can put it through unless some of the conservatives leave the Council and are replaced by moderates or liberals.”

“My understanding is that a simple majority is all that’s required,” Obi-Wan replied, “which is good because High Councilors serve until death, resignation, or impeachment.”

“…any of which would mean the loss of one of the Order’s wisest masters,” Padmé finished.

“Well, it is possible for a master to resign from their seat on the High Council without leaving the Order, but death is by far the most common source of vacancies on the Council,” Obi-Wan corrected.

“Master, it just occurred to me that Master Mundi was granted special dispensation to marry because of his species’ low birth rate,” Anakin interrupted.

“You think that would push him more towards the pro-reform camp?” Padmé asked.

Anakin reacted with surprise at this suggestion, taking a moment to digest the potential implications of what Padmé had said. “Actually, I was going to say that he might recuse himself if a lifting of the ban on attachment was included in the proposed reform package.”

Padmé nodded in understanding. “If Mundi recuses himself, the only way to pass reform is if the vacancy is filled and all three remaining moderates vote in favor. If the vacant seat weren’t filled, Mundi’s recusal would leave ten voting members. The five conservative votes already in the bag would be enough to force a deadlock even if Koon and Ti vote in favor.”

As breakfast drew to a close, Obi-Wan’s comlink chimed. “If you’ll pardon me,” he said, stepping into the kitchen to accept the call.

Padmé took Anakin’s hand in hers. “I hope they’re not calling you back to the Temple,” she said.

Anakin nodded. “I hope so too, Angel.”

After a moment, Obi-Wan returned with a solemn countenance.

“What’s wrong?” Sabé asked.

Obi-Wan sighed. “Master Rancisis has been killed in action on Saleucami.”

Anakin’s mouth dropped open. “Are we being recalled to active duty?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “Not yet, but as a member of the High Council, I will be expected to make an appearance at the lighting of his funeral pyre tomorrow evening.”

“Where does that leave the situation on Saleucami?” Sabé broke in.

“Well, at last report, we had the Confederate forces encircled in the capital city and the siege was at a stalemate,” Obi-Wan told her. “Master Rancisis most likely would have been directing his forces from behind the lines. If he’s been killed, then it’s likely that either the Separatist forces in the city have broken through or Separatist reinforcements managed to defeat the blockade and relieve the city’s defenses by attacking our rear.”

“Who does that leave as our commander in the field?” Anakin asked.

“That’s a good question,” Obi-Wan replied. “Until now, Masters Unduli, Rancisis, Secura, and Vos had each been commanding a sector of the encirclement, with Rancisis in overall command. We certainly didn’t expect to lose our high general two weeks into the siege, and I don’t know whether the Council established which of the other three sector commanders was second-in-command. It’s possible the remaining generals have assumed joint command of the situation and are anticipating the Council will send reinforcements and a new overall commander along with them.”

“If Rancisis was also a sector commander prior to his death, someone will need to assume command of his sector,” Padmé noted.

“That will probably be Unduli or Vos, since their sectors were adjacent to his,” Obi-Wan commented.

“If I were the Council, I would place Master Unduli in overall command since she has a Padawan to assist her in commanding her assigned sector,” Anakin proposed.

“While Padawan Offee is quite promising, she lacks the talent for…original thinking that makes a strong battlefield commander,” Obi-Wan countered.

“I’ll give you that,” Anakin conceded.

Seeing Sabé’s brow furrowed in concern, Padmé stepped in to conclude the discussion. “Well, Ani, since Sabé and Obi-Wan were so kind as to make breakfast for us, I think it’s only fair we clean up the dishes.”

“As long as you promise not to get soap suds all over my robes,” Anakin teased, taking the hint.

“As I recall, it was you who started it last time,” Padmé shot back, giving him a playful punch in the arm. “I was just defending myself.”

“That’s what they all say,” Anakin replied, picking up Obi-Wan’s plate and carrying it into the kitchen as he did so.

Obi-Wan looked at their retreating forms and sighed as the sound of their flirtatious banter faded. “Ah, young love,” he said wistfully.

Sabé’s expression was somber as she placed her hands over Obi-Wan’s. “Something’s bothering you.”

“Master Rancisis’ death,” Obi-Wan confided. “He and I weren’t particularly close, but he was a fellow High Councilor, and it seems as if we’ve been dropping like dhuru flies ever since the war started.”

Sabé pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in frustration. “You’re on _leave_, Obi-Wan. You’re supposed to be _relaxing_, not worrying about the war. There’ll be plenty of time for that once you’re back on duty.”

“I’m a Jedi, Sabé,” Obi-Wan reminded her.

“Jedi you may be, but also only human, you are,” Sabé countered in an imitation of Master Yoda that served to lighten Obi-Wan’s mood immensely. “I’ve nothing to do today, and neither do you, from the sound of it. Just let yourself forget the war and the Jedi. I want you to promise me that, just for today, we can be Obi-Wan and Sabé, two lovers lost in the embrace of each other’s arms. We can go back to being Master Kenobi and Senator Amidala’s handmaiden tomorrow.”

“Fine,” Obi-Wan agreed reluctantly.

Sabé beamed, wrapping Obi-Wan up and dragging him off toward their bedroom.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking there under my own power, you know,” Obi-Wan grumbled, his complaints falling on deaf ears.

Sabé craned her neck up to plant a kiss on his cheek. “I don’t care,” she whispered into his ear. “You’re _mine_, Kenobi. _All mine_, and I am going to have my wicked way with you whether you like it or not.”

Obi-Wan reached out, scooped Sabé up, and held her close to his chest, her legs flailing wildly as she found herself lifted off the ground by her ribcage. “Oh, I like it.”

Sabé took advantage of her new position to kiss the top of her lover’s head. “Is that a lightsaber in your robes, or are you just happy to see me?”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “You have a dirty mind, Sabé.”

“And you don’t?” Sabé scoffed.

“I never said that,” Obi-Wan corrected.

“You implied it,” Sabé replied.

“You need to stop reading so much into everything I say,” Obi-Wan countered, ruffling her hair.

Sabé punched him playfully in the arm. “You’re insufferable,” she complained.

“You’re insatiable,” he responded, preemptively silencing her protests with a kiss.

* * *

Obi-Wan was the first of the pair to wake from his post-coital slumber, Sabé’s sleeping form still held close against his chest. Sighing softly, he placed a tender kiss on the crown of her head, one hand gently stroking her dark brown hair. The movement caused Sabé to stir, and she shifted to rest her head on Obi-Wan’s shoulder with a contented sigh.

“I love you, Sabé,” Obi-Wan whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“I love you, too, Obi-Wan,” Sabé murmured softly.

The intimacy of the moment was disrupted when Obi-Wan felt a sudden rush of confused emotions through his Force bond with Anakin. Obi-Wan’s muscles tensed and his eyes narrowed. A muffled sound from the main room drew a concerned look from Sabé. The couple locked eyes briefly, then simultaneously scrambled from the bed into the main room.

Two and a half years on the front lines of the Clone Wars could not have prepared Obi-Wan for the sight that met him in the main room. Anakin knelt on the floor, a look of confusion and disbelief on his face as he held Padmé in his arms, who was draped listlessly over his shoulder, eyes red from crying.

“I can’t—I can’t do it, Ani,” she choked out between sobs. “I can’t go on. I can’t.”

“Padmé,” Anakin said slowly. “You’re doing good work in the Senate. They need you. The galaxy needs you.”

Padmé shook her head sadly. “It’s not enough, Ani. The Senate throws too many of the Republic’s resources into winning the war, and not enough into repairing the devastation it leaves in its wake.”

“That’s exactly why they need you,” Anakin replied. “Without you, even what little they do now would be stopped in favor of funding the war effort.”

The door to the apartment swung open and Dormé entered. When she saw the scene unfolding on the floor, she stopped dead in her tracks, mouth hanging open. Saché, who entered right behind Dormé, was unable to react in time and plowed into her lover’s back. Upon seeing what had frozen Dormé, she gasped and leaned on the doorframe for support.

Obi-Wan’s attention was drawn back to the floor when Padmé began to speak again. “I know, but—but it’s _still not enough! I can’t keep_ _doing it_, Ani!” she screamed, her tears once again flowing freely.

Anakin attempted to reach out to her through the Force, but her broken mind reflexively threw up what little shielding it could muster, and he dared not attempt to bypass it for fear of further fracturing her already-shattered psyche.

Watching the exchange, Dormé and Saché threw questioning looks at Sabé, who shrugged in response.

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Obi-Wan approached where Anakin and Padmé lay sprawled on the floor and touched the back of his hand to her forehead. “She’s running a fever,” he declared.

The whole room gave a collective sigh of relief at the fact that Padmé’s apparent mental breakdown was simply a case of fever-induced delirium.

“Sabé,” Padmé requested, “contact Bail. Ask him if—if we can move our meeting to my apartment.”

Anakin pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “Padmé, you’re ill. You need to rest, not exert yourself even more. I’m sure Bail will understand.”

“The vote could be as soon as tomorrow,” she protested. “We have to have this meeting today—”

“No, you don’t,” Anakin told her firmly.

“If this resolution passes—” she began again.

Anakin grit his teeth in frustration. “Your stubborn insistence on overworking yourself to the point of exhaustion is probably how you got sick in the first place. Your body needs rest to heal itself, and the peace movement needs you healthy if it’s to win over the undecided senators.”

Through the Force, Anakin felt Obi-Wan reaching out to silence Padmé’s resistance with a mind trick. _Don’t,_ he spoke to his master through their Force bond. _Her mental state is too fragile. It may do more harm than good._

_This may be more than a simple fever, Anakin,_ Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin mentally heaved a sigh in response. _Her devotion to her duty is admirable, but its strength causes her to neglect her own personal needs._

Obi-Wan reached out toward Padmé with the Force once again, not to influence this time, but simply to sense her presence. He frowned deeply. _Such a far cry from the firm resolve I have become accustomed to from her,_ he thought to himself. Through their bond, he spoke to Anakin,_ She is frail and weak. This is deeply disconcerting, Anakin. Have you tried to convince her to take time for herself prior to this?_

_I have, but she refuses to entertain the notion,_ Anakin told him. _“The people of the Republic come first,” she says._

_Does she not realize that she cannot serve the people of the Republic effectively when she ignores her body’s needs to the point of illness?_ Obi-Wan asked.

_You try telling her that,_ Anakin huffed in frustration.

_Okay, I will,_ Obi-Wan replied through their bond. Aloud, he continued, “Anakin’s right, Senator. Your commitment to the people of the Republic is admirable, but you are doing them no favors by neglecting your health. You need to take time off to recuperate from this illness so that you can be a more effective servant of the people once you are healed.”

“But the people don’t need me fully—fully healed three days from now,” Padmé protested. “They need me right now, in—in any state I can be available to them.” She paused to gather her breath before continuing, “I have to stop this bill.”

“Listen to yourself,” Obi-Wan directed. “You can’t even get out a full sentence without stopping for breath! You are in no state to argue against this bill in the full Senate. Let Bail lead the opposition. I have full faith that his ability and influence is as least as strong as your own.”

“The swing voters need to see—to see this kind of devotion to our cause out of us,” Padmé countered. “I can convince them, I know I can, just—just let me do it!”

“You intend to use your own illness as a political maneuvering tool?” Obi-Wan shouted incredulously. “Undecided senators will see that as a sign of stupidity, not of devotion!”

“Anakin put you up to this, didn’t he?” Padmé shot back indignantly. Seeing Obi-Wan’s guilty reaction, she addressed her husband, “I have to be there. Even if I don’t give the speech—I have to at least cast my vote against this.”

“I can go in your place, milady,” Dormé volunteered.

Padmé sighed, rubbing her temple in resignation. “Alright, fine,” she replied. “Sabé, ask Bail to come over and pick up—my notes for the speech.”

“Have him bring his medical droid with him,” Obi-Wan added.

“It’s not that bad,” Padmé objected. “I’m sure it’ll pass—in a few days.”

“Even if that’s so, it won’t resolve the underlying problem,” Saché countered. “You are way too stressed. Let loose a little! Have some fun once in a while!”

“Saché,” Padmé muttered, her resolve flagging, “your brand of ‘fun’ involves waking up—in the middle of the afternoon—with no memory of the past 12 hours. Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

Again the door to the apartment opened, revealing Bail Organa and a grey droid that moved using a repulsorlift.

Obi-Wan looked across to Sabé and quirked an eyebrow.

“Am I good or what?” she whispered.

“I don’t…want to know what two Jedi are doing here, do I?” Organa asked.

Anakin leaned down and whispered into Padmé’s ear, “Should we tell him?”

Seeing Padmé nod in response, Anakin reached out through his Force bond with Obi-Wan and asked, _Padmé thinks we can trust Senator Organa with our secret. Do you concur?_

_I sense he already suspects,_ Obi-Wan replied. _Might as well tell him now rather than let him find out on his own. Besides, we may need allies in the Senate if tensions on the Council come to a head._

“Actually, Bail, this is exactly what it looks like,” Obi-Wan said aloud.

“Another failed assassination attempt,” Organa grumbled. “This is really getting old.”

“Okay, maybe it isn’t exactly what it looks like,” Obi-Wan responded. “Anakin is the senator’s husband.”

“I see,” Organa replied evenly.

“And while we’re on the topic of secret relationships, I’m having a dalliance with the senator’s handmaiden, Sabé,” Obi-Wan continued.

“Really?” Organa asked in surprise. “I wouldn’t have taken you for one to disregard the rules of your Order.”

“The times are changing, Bail,” Obi-Wan replied. “The Order has to change with them to keep itself relevant. I’m trying to convince the rest of the Jedi Council that modernization is not optional, but until then, what I’ve just told you cannot leave this room, understood?”

Organa nodded. “Understood.”

“Back to the original reason for our call,” Obi-Wan began, but was interrupted by Organa before he could continue.

“You wanted Padmé examined by a medical droid, and you want it done quietly,” Organa finished.

Anakin looked up and noticed the droid floating beside Organa. “Is that a—”

“GH-7 medical droid, yes,” Organa finished. “Not quite as many capabilities as the 2-1B, but I think it has a better bedside manner. I keep a 2-1B around just in case something unusual comes up, but I haven’t needed it yet. This is my personal medical droid, FT-9. Efftee, this is Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and you’ve already met Senator Amidala and her entourage.”

Efftee inclined his head in acknowledgement of the group, then floated over towards Padmé. “A simple blood test should confirm or refute my hypothesis. If I could see your left forearm, Senator?”

Padmé rolled up her left sleeve and held her arm out for the droid. One of his appendages extended, briefly touching the surface of her skin, and then retracted back into the body. “Just a moment,” Efftee announced. There was a brief pause before he continued, “As I suspected. Chandrilan influenza.”

Organa was incredulous. “What? I thought the Chandrilan flu only affected younglings!”

Efftee shook his head. “A common misconception. Chandrilan influenza is not a particularly potent virus, so most healthy adults are able to repulse it in one to two days without becoming symptomatic. However, Senator Amidala shows extremely high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which acts as an immune suppressant. Additionally, she shows several signs of chronic sleep deprivation, which places a further strain on her immune system.”

Organa frowned. “How long will it take for her to recover?”

Efftee gave a sound that was the droid approximation of a sigh. “In large part, that depends on how quickly her cortisol levels can be brought down, but I’d estimate seven to ten days at a minimum. Her immune system has been severely weakened. She should also ensure that she gets at least ten hours of sleep a night for the next several weeks.”

“In the long term, Efftee,” Anakin interrupted, “once we’ve got her cortisol levels back down to normal, how do we keep them there?”

“Well, the best way to do so would be to eliminate the stressor that’s causing the high cortisol levels,” Efftee replied.

“I won’t give up my Senate seat,” Padmé vowed. “Not while Palpatine still has near-dictatorial control of the Republic. The tyranny must end.”

“Palpatine has only the galaxy’s best interests in mind,” Anakin protested. “He will relinquish his emergency powers and step down from the chancellorship when the Separatists have been defeated.”

“Remember your Jedi teachings, Anakin,” Obi-Wan chided. “All who have power are afraid to lose it. Whatever Palpatine’s intentions were when he originally accepted the emergency powers, I suspect his continued promises to step down at war’s end are simply false assurances to prevent his allies from turning on him.”

Organa nodded in agreement. “There is a saying in the political world: power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

“Palpatine has begun making requests of the Jedi Council beyond the normal scope of the Republic’s relations with the Order,” Obi-Wan added.

“I explained to him that the Council conducts its own affairs and that he needed to stop trying to interfere,” Anakin defended.

“And yet the requests have persisted,” Obi-Wan countered. “If Palpatine truly valued your input, he would have heeded your warning not to interfere in Jedi business. The fact that he did not tells me that your perceived friendship with him only goes one way.”

“Anakin,” Padmé put in worriedly, “you didn’t tell the chancellor about us, did you?”

When Anakin failed to respond, she continued, “You did, didn’t you?”

“No, but I’m almost certain he suspects something is up,” Anakin replied slowly. “On a number of occasions, he’s discussed the HoloNet rumors regarding your alleged affair with Senator Organa as if he believed them to be true.”

“He may have simply been playing out his own fantasies about having a secret affair with a young, impressionable senator whom—” Obi-Wan suggested.

“_Don’t_,” Sabé interrupted, pressing a hand to her temple. “Just…_no_. I do not need that mental image.”

“I suspect he may have been attempting to bait me into confirming his suspicions about my relationship with Padmé,” Anakin finished.

“That alone should be enough to convince you he’s not being completely aboveboard,” Obi-Wan pointed out.

“I just find it hard to believe that—” Anakin started.

“If it’s any comfort, the Council has long suspected the chancellor of being a patsy for the Sith master,” Obi-Wan added abruptly.

“You think he’s under mind control,” Anakin concluded.

“Not necessarily mind control, but more likely he’s being blackmailed into furthering the Sith’s goals,” Obi-Wan amended.

“But you don’t want to make any attempts to confirm or refute that suspicion for fear of tipping off the Sith master,” Anakin stated.

“Exactly,” Obi-Wan confirmed.

“Getting back to the topic at hand,” Efftee broke in, “I would recommend that Senator Amidala take a vacation off-planet to aid in the recovery process.”

“Varykino,” Anakin declared immediately.

“If you want to get off-planet unnoticed, I can loan you an Alderaanian diplomatic vessel,” Organa volunteered.

“We’d almost have to sneak off the planet to keep from exposing the fact that the Senator Amidala who’ll vote against this bill is actually a body double,” Sabé pointed out.

“Consider it done, then,” Organa said, whipping out a comlink. “Captain Antilles?”

_“Yes, Viceroy?”_ the voice of Organa’s personal pilot responded.

“I will be loaning the _Sundered Heart_ to the Naboo delegation for about a week. Have her prepped and ready for takeoff in…two hours?” Organa directed, looking to the Jedi for confirmation of the time. Seeing Obi-Wan nod, he continued. “Two hours, Raymus. Is that doable?”

_“Yes, Viceroy,”_ Antilles confirmed. _“Will I be piloting for them?”_

Seeing Anakin shake his head, Organa replied, “No, they have their own pilot.”

_“Alright,”_ Antilles said. _“Two hours, Docking Bay 147. I’ll keep an eye on her until they arrive. Antilles out.”_

“Are you and Sabé going to be accompanying us to Naboo, Master?” Anakin asked once Organa had put the comlink away.

Obi-Wan nodded. “Mace won’t like it, but I don’t intend on giving him a choice.”

“Mace Windu has a stick up his ass,” Sabé declared. “Not even a Jedi should be allowed to be that humorless. Even Yoda has more of a sense of humor than Mace Windu.”

“No one’s arguing with you, Sabé,” Obi-Wan agreed, cutting off her diatribe before she could begin in earnest. “Now please, I’d rather the rest of the Council not know where I am.”

“In that case, it might be best for you to step into the corridor,” Anakin suggested.

“I’m not completely stupid, Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Oh, only partially stupid?” Anakin joked.

“Not funny, Anakin,” Obi-Wan shot back as the door closed behind him. Pressing a hand to his temple to quell the oncoming headache that always came with talking to Mace Windu, Obi-Wan withdrew his comlink from his robes and dialed.

Unexpectedly, the blue-tinted figures of both Masters Windu and Yoda appeared before him when the call connected.

“Kenobi,” Windu grumbled.

“Let’s dispense with the pleasantries, Mace,” Obi-Wan requested. “Alderaanian Intelligence in the person of Senator Organa has just informed me of rumors swirling about a potential Separatist attack on a conference between the Alderaanians and the Naboo intended to strengthen the diplomatic ties between their two planets.”

“I’ve heard nothing about such a conference,” Windu replied skeptically.

“It’s not a highly publicized event,” Obi-Wan explained, “which makes the rumors of a planned Separatist attack even more concerning. The Alderaanian delegation is set to depart for Naboo in two hours’ time. Anakin and I will be accompanying them to ensure that everything runs smoothly.”

“Since when do the Jedi take their assignments from senators?” Windu asked confrontationally.

“They don’t,” Obi-Wan responded defensively. “Senator Organa made a request; I invoked my personal authority as a member of the High Council and chose to grant it.”

Windu harrumphed. “How long is this conference supposed to last?”

“Hopefully no longer than a week,” Obi-Wan replied.

“A week? With General Rancisis dead, the Republic needs your leadership to recover the situation on Saleucami!” Windu exploded. “We can’t wait a week for you to protect some conference between two worlds that are already on our side! I’m sorry, Master Kenobi, but—”

Windu was cut off when Yoda’s gimer stick shot out and made solid contact with his head. “A credible threat, you believe this is?” Yoda asked.

Obi-Wan nodded. “Yes, Master Yoda.”

“Require your personal attention, you believe it does?” Yoda pressed.

Obi-Wan nodded again. “Yes, Master Yoda.”

Yoda thought for a moment. “Trust your judgment, I do. Accompanying the two of you, will Padawan Tano be?”

_Anakin,_ Obi-Wan spoke through their bond, _will Ahsoka be coming with us to Naboo?_

_I’d kind of like it to be just the four of us, but I’ll defer to your judgment if you think there’s a reason to bring her along,_ Anakin responded.

_Mace seems suspicious of the excuse I’m giving him,_ Obi-Wan replied. _Since Ahsoka knows our secret, it may not be wise for her to remain on Coruscant where he would be able to question her._

_Then she comes,_ Anakin agreed.

“She will, Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan said aloud.

“Inform her, I will,” Yoda replied. “More to say, have you, Master Obi-Wan?”

“Only that Padawan Tano should meet us at Docking Bay 147 in two hours’ time,” Obi-Wan specified. “If that will be all, Masters?”

Windu nodded silently and ended the communication.

* * *

Ahsoka stood at the base of the gangway conversing with Captain Antilles when Anakin, Obi-Wan, and their lovers arrived at Docking Bay 147 two hours later.

“This is the ship?” Anakin shouted across the bay.

Antilles nodded, reaching out to shake Anakin’s hand. “She’s a souped-up CR70 with a Class 2 hyperdrive. Should get you there in about ten hours.”

“Good,” Anakin replied. “Now remember, if anyone asks, this vessel is carrying Alderaanian diplomats to a secret conference on Naboo.”

Antilles nodded again. “Take good care of her, Master Jedi.”

Anakin smiled. “I will.”

“May the wind be at your backs,” Antilles said, turning and leaving the hangar.

By this time, the rest of the party had already boarded the ship. Anakin jogged up the boarding ramp and quickly made his way to the cockpit, where he was met by Ahsoka.

“Alright, Skyguy, what gives?” she asked. “Master Yoda comes and tells me we’ve been tapped to provide security for a group of Alderaanian diplomats, and when I get to the hangar, the only diplomat I see is the senator of Naboo, and you’re ready to take off, which tells me we’re not expecting anyone else.”

“Long story short, the Alderaanian diplomatic delegation we’re supposedly escorting to Naboo doesn’t exist,” Anakin explained. “Senator Amidala has been taken ill and requires time away from her job to recuperate, but she must also spearhead the opposition to the latest military spending bill.”

“So the defeat of the spending bill is being left to one of the senator’s numerous body doubles while we escort the real senator back to Naboo, with the Alderaanian vessel as a smoke screen to reduce the risk of the ruse being discovered,” Ahsoka finished. “That’s all well and good, but why does the senator need a Jedi escort?”

“You remember what Obi-Wan and I told you on the way back from Eidera?” Anakin asked.

“I’ve been trying to block it out, but yes,” Ahsoka replied.

Ignoring Ahsoka’s discomfort at discussing the subject, Anakin continued, “Master Windu seemed skeptical of our cover story. We figured he would be able to tell without too much difficulty if you were lying to him, so we brought you along to keep our secret out of Windu’s hands.”

Ahsoka raised one eyebrow. “Uh-huh.”

“More to say, have you, Padawan Tano?” Anakin asked, doing his own impression of Master Yoda.

“Knowing what I do now, it is painfully clear to me that your overprotectiveness and, dare I say, jealousy led you to leave Senator Clovis behind on Cato Neimoidia,” Ahsoka confronted her master.

“He stayed behind to deal with Senator Dod,” Anakin shot back defensively.

“_Riiight_,” Ahsoka drawled sarcastically, “and let me guess: if I believe that, you’ve got some waterfront property on Tatooine you’d like to sell me.”

“I’m serious!” Anakin protested.

“Don’t delude yourself, Skyguy,” Ahsoka riposted. “That’s a load of bantha poodoo and you know it.”

“Yeah, I know,” Anakin muttered frustratedly, “but it serves him right for trying to steal my wife!”

“Skyguy—” Ahsoka began, then sighed, facepalming and shaking her head. “Padmé would never allow herself to be stolen by Clovis or anyone else. Judging by the fact that she is utterly incapable of staying mad at you for more than about ten minutes, she is just as in love with you as you are with her.” Seeing Anakin start to open his mouth in protest, she continued, “And before you say it, I think it is highly unlikely that anyone would be able to steal her from you against her will.”

Anakin smiled. “She’s a feisty one,” he replied. “Trouble is, she’s small, and while she’s a great shot with a blaster, I fear she could be overpowered in hand-to-hand combat.”

“That’s when we bring down the full might of the Republic on the poor idiot stupid enough to mess with the galaxy’s most beloved senator,” Ahsoka chuckled.

“Well, hopefully, I’ll be near enough to provide aid if she ever comes under fire again, but knowing our luck, I doubt that’ll work out quite as intended,” Anakin commented ruefully.

“We already know half the bounty hunters in the galaxy are after her,” Ahsoka replied, “not to mention Dooku and his goons.”

“Let’s not,” Anakin suggested. “You’ve made your point; now let’s not talk doom and gloom.”

“I can take over here if you want to go spend some time with her,” Ahsoka volunteered.

“Thanks, Snips,” Anakin said, standing from the pilot’s chair.

“All part of the service,” Ahsoka replied cheerily, sliding across from the navigator’s seat to the pilot’s seat.

Anakin left the flight deck and made his way into the lounge, where he found Obi-Wan and Sabé laughing and drinking caf at the table. Padmé lay curled in a fetal position on the nearby sofa with a blanket draped over her legs and torso, a mug of tea clutched in her small hands. Anakin sat down next to her and placed an arm around her hunched shoulders.

“I’m cold, Ani,” she mumbled, eyelids drooping.

“I know, Angel,” Anakin sighed. “You want me to go get you another blanket from the sleeping quarters?”

“That would be nice,” she agreed, smiling softly.

“Alright, I’ll be right back,” Anakin promised.

He returned shortly thereafter carrying a light blue quilted duvet. He shook it a few times to spread it out, then carefully laid it overtop of the aquamarine blanket that already covered his wife’s weakened form.

“There you go,” he murmured, gently kissing Padmé’s hair.

She smiled gratefully, eyes falling shut as she drifted off to sleep with a contented sigh. Anakin gently extricated the mug of tea from her grasp and set it on the end table to keep it from falling to the floor while she slept.


	4. Chapter 4

Anakin swung his blade down in a wide arc toward Obi-Wan’s shoulder. The elder Jedi stepped to the right, dodging the strike, and brought his blade around to target Anakin’s unprotected back. Almost as quickly, Anakin spun on his heel to face the approaching shaft of blue plasma, his own saber snapping up to arrest its path.

“Nice try, Master,” Anakin said with a grin, breaking the lock with a Force push.

Obi-Wan recovered quickly and brought his blade up to deflect Anakin’s thrust. For the next several minutes, the two danced across the floor of the _Sundered Heart_’s cargo bay, alternately attacking and parrying as each sought to land a strike against the other.

The duel came to a head as Obi-Wan backed his former student into the corner of the cargo bay. Anakin feinted toward the shoulder of Obi-Wan’s saber arm, then whipped his saber down in a half-circle toward Obi-Wan’s leg, ducking under Obi-Wan’s slash at his exposed torso. Sensing Anakin’s intent, Obi-Wan jumped, pulling his legs into his chest and allowing Anakin’s azure blade to pass harmlessly beneath his feet. As the two spun to face each other and reassumed their guard positions, they were interrupted by an announcement over the ship’s intercom system.

“Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking,” Ahsoka’s voice echoed through the cargo bay. “We have now arrived at the Varykino Lake Retreat. You may disembark at your leisure.”

Bowing to each other, Anakin and Obi-Wan extinguished their sabers and clipped the inactive hilts back to their respective belts.

“Perhaps we’ll get an opportunity to continue this later?” Obi-Wan suggested as the pair made their way to the cargo bay entrance.

“Perhaps,” Anakin replied noncommittally.

“Why, you have something else in mind?” Obi-Wan asked.

“I sense a storm brewing, Master, and I doubt Padmé would approve of us sparring in the lake house,” Anakin explained.

“Mm-hmm,” Obi-Wan grunted, clearly skeptical.

By this time, the pair had reached the lounge, where they found Padmé still asleep on the couch as she had been since their departure from Coruscant. Sabé had dozed off in the recliner on the opposite side of the room and now lay snoring softly.

Anakin knelt beside the end of the couch where Padmé’s head rested against a blue-and-white throw pillow. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, and he reached up with his flesh hand to brush a stray lock of hair from her face.

“She seems so fragile,” Anakin whispered, absently stroking his wife’s hair.

“Three days ago, ‘fragile’ would have been the last word I thought of to describe Padmé Amidala,” Obi-Wan responded solemnly. “A lot has changed since then.”

“How did I let this happen, Master?” Anakin asked.

“You didn’t ‘let’ anything happen,” Obi-Wan corrected. “Your duties to the Republic prevented you from being there to see the signs before it was too late.”

“Master, you can’t possibly be suggesting—” Anakin began.

“—that the Jedi are at fault for Padmé’s condition?” Obi-Wan interrupted. “Maybe not solely responsible, but had this not been our first leave in over eight months, you might have been able to detect that something was amiss before her stress levels reached the point where she suffered a complete mental breakdown.”

“Well, keep in mind that the Jedi don’t know I’m married, and they would expel me if they did,” Anakin reminded him.

“It’s still unhealthy for a Jedi to spend that much time in the field without leave,” Obi-Wan replied, “just like—no offense to Ahsoka—it seems to me that most newly-minted Padawans are a little young to be front-line commanders in a war.”

“They learn quickly, though,” Anakin noted. “Whether or not that’s a good thing is debatable, but…”

“I think part of the problem with public perception of the Jedi is that the High Council is so insular that it sees the rest of the Order as tools by which to achieve its desired ends, which encourages the public to view the Order likewise,” Obi-Wan explained.

Anakin sighed, his gaze falling back on Padmé. “I’m worried about her, Master.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “As am I. You heard Bail’s medical droid say she hasn’t been sleeping well in recent weeks.”

Neither of them spoke for some time afterward as they both sat contemplating how so much could change in just a few short days.

“For the past two and a half years, she’s always been there for me,” Anakin broke the silence suddenly. “She’s been a friend, a lover…I could talk to her about anything. She was my conscience when I felt myself start to lose my way, she was a sympathetic ear when I just needed to vent my frustrations, she was the only thing that kept me going when all seemed lost…but most importantly, she was always there to catch me if I started falling, and now…”

“Now she’s the one who needs to be caught,” Obi-Wan finished.

Anakin nodded sadly. “I don’t know if I can pull it off, Master.”

“Remember, Anakin, you’re not alone anymore,” Obi-Wan reminded him. “I’ll help you take care of her in any way I can, and I feel confident in saying that Sabé and Ahsoka will do likewise.”

Ahsoka appeared in the doorway to the passage connecting the lounge and the cockpit. “It’s been ten minutes, Masters. Is everything alright back here?”

“About as well as can be expected under the circumstances,” Anakin replied.

“Well, we should probably try to get inside before sunrise to minimize the risk of our being noticed,” Ahsoka suggested.

Anakin leaned over and softly kissed Padmé’s cheek. Her eyes opened slowly, and she brought her hand up to shield them from the light. Seeing Padmé’s discomfort, Ahsoka moved to a control panel on the wall and dimmed the lights. Padmé gave a weak smile and turned her head toward Anakin.

“Ani?” she asked groggily.

Anakin nodded. “We just landed at Varykino. Once Obi-Wan gets Sabé awake, we’ll head inside, okay?”

Reaching down to lift her blankets out of the way, Padmé swung her legs off the couch and stood gingerly, leaning slightly on Anakin’s arm for support.

Obi-Wan, meanwhile, crossed to the recliner and tapped Sabé on the shoulder. She blinked rapidly as her eyes struggled to adjust to the dimmed lighting.

“I think we’ve got a short in the lighting,” she muttered once she had gained her bearings.

“Padmé’s having some issues with light sensitivity, so we turned the lighting down to make her more comfortable,” Obi-Wan explained. “We’ve arrived at Varykino.”

“Actually, we’re in a small clearing about a klick west of the Lake House itself so as to minimize the risk of the ship being seen by an observer on the ground,” Ahsoka clarified.

“So about a ten-minute walk,” Sabé estimated.

“If we were walking,” Obi-Wan amended. “There’s a speeder in the back that should get us there in a minute or two.”

The five made their way to the small hangar where the speeder was kept. While Anakin started the speeder, Ahsoka set a time delay to automatically close the hangar door after they exited. Once everyone was aboard, Anakin nudged the throttle forward and the speeder dropped out of the _Sundered Heart_’s hangar bay into the predawn darkness. Checking the compass on the speeder’s dashboard, Anakin swung the speeder around in a wide arc until it was headed towards Varykino.

A lightning bolt struck in the distance, briefly silhouetting the house against the night sky. Feeling a hand grasp his arm, Anakin looked back briefly to see Padmé smiling worriedly.

“Nine seconds,” Obi-Wan declared upon hearing the thunderclap. “That means the lightning struck about three klicks away.”

“Then it’s a good thing we have this speeder,” Anakin mused, opening the throttle further.

The speeder crossed the remaining distance in about thirty seconds, and Anakin deftly brought it to a stop beneath an overhang adjacent to the main entrance. Pausing long enough for his companions to disembark, he circled around to the rear of the lake house and opened the door to the speeder garage with the Force before bringing the speeder inside.

No sooner had Anakin stepped through the connecting passageway into the main house than he heard the distinctive pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the roof. He made his way into the sitting room, where he found Obi-Wan and Sabé cuddling on a sofa facing the picture window. Padmé motioned for Anakin to join her on a couch on the opposite side of the room.

“Where’s Snips?” he asked.

“Upstairs,” Padmé told him. “She offered to unpack our luggage for us.”

“She’s been awfully helpful lately,” Anakin noted. “It’s as if she’s avoiding us…”

With that, he turned on his heel and left for the bedrooms, taking the stairs two at a time on his way up. He found Ahsoka in the master bedroom unpacking Padmé’s bags.

“You seem to be keeping to yourself quite a bit, Snips,” Anakin said, snapping Ahsoka out of her reverie. “Is there something you want to talk to me about?”

“It’s just…” Ahsoka sighed. “I’m still not entirely comfortable with the idea of you guys breaking the Code and risking being expelled from the Order over a romance. There’s not really a justifiable reason like that breaking the Code was somehow necessary to right some moral wrong—”

“Except it is,” Anakin interrupted. “The Order controls every aspect of our lives, tells us what we can and can’t do—”

“Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps the Order put those restrictions in place for our own good?” Ahsoka pointed out. “The Jedi exist to serve the greater good, and sometimes we have to make personal sacrifices in order to do so. The Order isn’t opposed to marriage when it serves a greater purpose—just ask Master Mundi—but this is plain old selfishness!”

“We’re not droids!” Anakin shot back. “They’ve no right to tell us how to live our lives!”

“The Republic tells the clone troopers how to live their lives, and I don’t hear you fighting to give them the opportunity to bow out of the Republic’s service,” Ahsoka replied.

“They’ll be given their opportunity as soon as the war is over,” Anakin reminded her. “The Jedi won’t.”

“Jedi are free to walk away from the Order at any time if they feel the Force is showing them another path,” Ahsoka countered.

“Except that the Jedi have no way to make a living outside the Order,” Anakin responded. “The clones that choose to leave Republic service at war’s end will be given veterans’ benefits, a pension, and Republic-funded secondary education so that they can become skilled workers in civilian life. A Jedi leaving the Order would have nothing but the Force, his lightsaber, and the robes on his back. Technically, yes, a Jedi is free to leave the Order at any time if they so choose, but as a practical matter—”

“As a practical matter, Senator Amidala earns more than enough to support you both, and I’m sure she’d be more than willing to lend Obi-Wan and Sabé enough credits that they’d never have to work a day in their lives if they didn’t want to,” Ahsoka interrupted. “Don’t go giving me that bantha poodoo.”

“Not every Jedi who falls in love will have that luxury,” Anakin pointed out.

“Well, I’m sure that if a Jedi fell in love and chose to put their own personal desires above the greater good, they could easily find a job in their home planet’s diplomatic service, or if that’s not their cup of tea, there are plenty of companies looking for qualified pilots,” Ahsoka replied.

“But we shouldn’t have to choose!” Anakin protested. “Admiral Yularen has a wife and two kids, and he doesn’t have to choose between them and serving in the Republic Navy!”

“Serving in the Republic Navy isn’t an around-the-clock job; being a Jedi is,” Ahsoka countered.

“What do you mean, serving in the Republic Navy’s not an around-the-clock job?” Anakin asked. “We’ve been deployed for eight months straight, and Admiral Yularen’s been with us the whole time!”

“Even if you believe the rule exists for no good reason, ignoring it’s not the right way to go about seeking change,” Ahsoka replied, ignoring his question. “Have Obi-Wan put a proposal forward in the Council. If they think the time is right for change, they’ll approve the proposal and _then_ you can marry Padmé legally. If they think the rule is still necessary and vote the proposal down, then you have a choice to make. You can follow your Jedi teachings and put the greater good ahead of your own personal happiness by terminating your relationship to continue serving the Republic as a Jedi, or you can abandon the galaxy in its hour of need by leaving the Order to be with your lover.”

“The problem with that is that the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly, and if there’s one thing this war has taught me, it’s that life is short and we have to take advantage of every moment we get,” Anakin noted, pointedly refusing to address the implicit accusation in her remark. “Changing the Code could take months or years, and I refuse to make Padmé wait for my love when I could be killed in action at any moment.”

“If she truly loved you, she’d be willing to wait as long as it takes for you to be able to marry her without breaking the Code,” Ahsoka contended.

“Initially, she was!” Anakin protested. “After we both almost died on Geonosis, she realized that our love was too important to her to risk that one of us would die before we got the chance to be together.”

“She made an impulsive decision in the heat of the moment without fully thinking it through,” Ahsoka replied. “Being confronted with one’s own mortality has been known to have that effect on people. What if she’s spent the past two and a half years regretting that decision but being unable to do anything about it because she fears what you would do if she tried to leave you?”

Anakin’s breath hitched in his throat, insecurity and self-doubt written all over his face.

“What if she only _claimed_ to reciprocate your love for her because she thought one of you was going to die, and then got trapped in her lie when you both survived but couldn’t bring herself to break it to you?” Ahsoka continued.

“No,” Anakin whispered, trying to convince himself Ahsoka was wrong. “No, Padmé would never…”

Without warning, Anakin’s knees buckled and he fell to the floor, his head buried in his hands.

Ahsoka’s expression immediately became apologetic. “Oh, kriff. Skyguy, I didn’t mean that. I just got a little carried away…Skyguy?”

Anakin looked up at her, still in shock. “That was a low blow, Snips.”

“I realize that now, Skyguy, I just…got frustrated, you know?” Ahsoka replied.

“Frustrated that I wouldn’t see reason,” Anakin filled in. When Ahsoka nodded, he continued, “Love isn’t something that can be reasoned, Snips. It just…happens. I’m not really sure how to explain it, but it’s a very powerful motivator.”

“That’s part of what makes it so dangerous,” Ahsoka pointed out. “I’ve seen what you’re willing to do when Padmé is in danger.”

“I’m not proud of my actions on Cato Neimoidia,” Anakin responded.

“Yes, but it begs the question: how far would you go for her?” Ahsoka asked. “If you had a choice between saving a ship full of innocents and saving Padmé, which would you choose?”

Anakin was unable to meet her eyes.

“If Dooku somehow managed to capture Padmé and threatened to kill her unless his demands were met, how far would you go to get her back? Would you meet his demands?” Ahsoka pressed.

Anakin shook his head quickly. “Dooku’s a Sith, Snips. Even if I met his demands, he might kill her anyway. No, I’d have to stage a rescue mission.”

“And if the Council refused to authorize a rescue? What would you do then?” Ahsoka continued.

“I would go rogue and stage the rescue myself,” Anakin replied.

“You could be thrown out of the Order for defying the Council,” Ahsoka reminded him.

“And if it meant successfully saving Padmé, I would have absolutely no regrets,” Anakin told her. “I would have left the Order when we first married, but Padmé wanted me to stay. She said we couldn’t let our love get in the way of our duties to the Republic and to the galaxy. She convinced me that the Jedi needed me to stay. If she asked me to leave the Order for her, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

“We’re getting nowhere with this argument,” Ahsoka declared.

Anakin sighed. “Snips, I know you’re not exactly thrilled with what we’re doing, so I hope this isn’t too much to ask, but can you please try not to completely isolate yourself from the group while we’re here?”

“I’ll try, but there’s only so long I can stand watching Obi-Wan and Sabé make goo-goo eyes at each other before it gets to be nauseating,” Ahsoka replied.

“They don’t get to see each other very often, Snips,” Anakin reminded her. “Cut them some slack.”

“I suppose that means I’ll have to put up with you and Padmé doing it, too, huh?” Ahsoka grumbled.

“If she’s not sleeping all day, probably so,” Anakin quipped.

“Perhaps I should work on using the Force to induce sleep,” Ahsoka responded in kind.

“Not funny, Snips,” Anakin replied. “Besides, I doubt Padmé will need much help. She was sleeping for ten hours straight on the flight and didn’t seem any more rested than when we left Coruscant.”

“Had she mentioned anything to you about stress before this whole fiasco started?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin shook his head sadly. “Padmé doesn’t want to burden other people with her problems.”

Ahsoka pressed a hand to her temple. “So she just buries them?”

Anakin nodded. “I think she hopes that if she ignores her issues long enough, they’ll eventually go away on their own.”

Ahsoka sighed. “If you got shot, would you just ignore it and hope the wound would heal itself?”

“No, of course not!” Anakin replied incredulously. “I get it, Ahsoka. Padmé’s the one you need to convince.”

“I think you’ve done that already,” Ahsoka responded. “She didn’t seem to have much fight left in her.”

“That’s what worries me,” Anakin muttered, his gaze downcast. Looking Ahsoka straight in the eye, he continued plaintively, “What’s been happening the past eight months?”

Ahsoka threw up her hands with a sigh. “I wish I knew what to tell you, Skyguy.”

“Yeah,” Anakin agreed. “So do I.”

They sat in silence for several minutes as Ahsoka finished unpacking.

“What now?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin shrugged. “Go back downstairs, I guess.”

Ahsoka’s eyes narrowed. “Something’s bugging you.”

“Just a little restless, that’s all,” Anakin replied, standing up and making his way to the door.

Ahsoka raised a skeptical eyebrow at Anakin’s retreating form but decided to let the matter drop. After closing Padmé’s suitcase, she turned off the light in the bedroom and followed Anakin back into the sitting room.

“Everything alright, Ani?” Padmé asked. “You were gone almost ten minutes. I was starting to wonder if something was wrong.”

“Yeah, everything’s fine, Angel,” Anakin replied, plopping down next to her on the couch. “I just wish you would have told me how stressed you were before it got to be this bad.”

“The Republic needs me, Ani,” Padmé explained, resting her head on his shoulder.

Anakin shook his head sadly. “Not like this,” he said, putting an arm around her. “You’re sick, you’re sleep-deprived, and you’re overstressed. There’s no shame in taking time off to rest so that you can be back firing on all thrusters when you return, and I have every confidence that the peace movement in the Senate won’t fall apart in your absence, especially now that Bail’s been rescued.”

“Making sacrifices is part of being a public servant,” Padmé protested. “I have a duty…to the people.”

“A duty you’ve been neglecting by allowing yourself to fall into such poor health,” Anakin told her. “You have to take care of yourself before you can worry about taking care of the people. I understand that there are things public servants have to sacrifice in order to better serve the people, but their own well-being isn’t one of them.”

“I just want this war to be over, Ani,” Padmé whispered.

“I know you do, Angel,” Anakin assured her, gently rubbing her shoulder. “I know you do.”

* * *

“It’s almost noon, Anakin,” Obi-Wan remarked. “How about you and I fix lunch?”

“Good idea, Master,” Anakin agreed. He turned to Padmé and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes, okay, Angel?”

Padmé sighed resignedly but nodded her assent. Anakin stood from the couch and followed Obi-Wan into the kitchen. Obi-Wan motioned for Anakin to enter first, and then entered the kitchen himself, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door closed, Obi-Wan’s expression became somber.

“Alright, Anakin. Something’s been bothering you ever since we got here. What is it?” Obi-Wan asked.

“It’s just…why me, Master?” Anakin declared.

“Okay, first of all, you don’t have to call me ‘Master’ when it’s just the two of us, and secondly, why you what?” Obi-Wan replied.

“Why, out of all the men in the galaxy, would a rich, beautiful senator like her want to marry a lowly former slave boy like me?” Anakin explained.

“Because she loves you for who you are as a person, Anakin,” Obi-Wan responded.

“But why, Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked again. “I’m a Jedi! Why would she want to marry me and have to keep it a secret when she could publicly marry almost anyone else in the galaxy? What if having to keep our marriage a secret put her under just enough additional stress to cause her nervous breakdown?”

“Anakin, you can’t think like that,” Obi-Wan told him.

“Why not? What if it’s true?” Anakin challenged.

“Even if it is, so much more of her stress was work-related that removing the stress of keeping your marriage secret would have only delayed the breakdown by a few days, maybe a week at most,” Obi-Wan countered. “Besides, the breakdown itself would have been a lot worse if she hadn’t had us to lean on, especially since I doubt whether anyone in the Naboo delegation would have had the courage to insist she take time off to recover.”

“But the question remains: there are billions of other men in the galaxy who could give her so much more than I could possibly hope to, so why would she want me over all of them?” Anakin repeated.

“Because she doesn’t want what they have to give her,” Obi-Wan said calmly. “Wealth, power, influence—_she already has all of those_, Anakin.”

“And I have the Force,” Anakin realized.

Obi-Wan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Not everyone is looking to exploit your abilities, Anakin.”

“What if Ahsoka’s right, Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked. “What if her confession of love on Geonosis was just a lie to protect my feelings in the face of near-certain death, and she was too afraid to admit it to me when we both survived?”

“Anakin, disregarding for the moment the fact that I highly doubt she would lie to protect anyone’s feelings, Padmé Amidala has never, in my experience, been afraid to speak her mind about anything. Why would this be any different?” Obi-Wan replied in confusion.

The words were out of Anakin’s mouth before he realized what he was saying. “Because she knows what I did to the Tuskens that killed my mother!”


	5. Chapter 5

There was a long pause before Obi-Wan responded, trepidation evident in his voice, “What did you do, Anakin?”

“I…I slaughtered the whole tribe,” Anakin admitted, eyes downcast.

Obi-Wan stared at him in open-mouthed shock. “The whole tribe?”

Anakin nodded sadly. “Even the women and children.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “I _should_ go straight to the Council with this information, Anakin. Of course, I also should have gone straight to the Council when I found out about your marriage, and we both know that didn’t happen.”

Another pause, then Obi-Wan continued, “Does anyone else know?”

Anakin shook his head. “Just Padmé.”

“I cannot condone your actions, Anakin,” Obi-Wan told him. “However, that incident occurred two and a half years ago. You’ve grown quite a bit since then, both as a Jedi and as a person. Since this appears to be an isolated incident, I do not believe it will be necessary to inform the Council.”

“Yes, Master,” Anakin replied.

“Anakin, I…” Obi-Wan paused as if searching for the right words. “I believe I owe you an apology for how I handled that situation. The Order teaches that a Jedi must let go of all attachments in order to follow the will of the Force. When you began having visions of your mother’s capture, I assumed they were simply nightmares born of your attachment to her and instructed you to release your worries into the Force. Had I realized they were visions, I would have encouraged you to follow where the Force was leading you.”

“You couldn’t have known, Obi-Wan,” Anakin assured him.

“At the time, I thought I was doing what was best for your Jedi training,” Obi-Wan continued, “but Sabé and I didn’t find each other until several months later. Had I known about attachments then what I do now, even if I didn’t realize your nightmares were actually visions, I would have let you return to check on your mother. Even if it turned out nothing was wrong, it would have at least allowed you to stop worrying about her.”

“You and I both know the Council would never have permitted it,” Anakin pointed out.

“The Council would never have permitted this if they knew what we were really doing out here,” Obi-Wan reminded him, gesturing to the area around them.

“But would you have been able to concoct a plausible excuse for going to Tatooine?” Anakin asked.

“That’s beside the point, Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied. “Now, if you would, I’d like to finish what I was saying earlier. Padmé already has all of those things that other men could offer her. She wants _love_, Anakin, and that is the one thing that none of those other men can give her. They only love her for what she’s done, or what she represents. Some don’t love her even in that looser sense of the word, but simply want her because of what they could become by marrying her, or even because of what _she_ could give _them_. You love her for who she is, and that means more to her than any tangible thing any of her other suitors could give her.”

Anakin nodded thoughtfully. “I think I’m starting to understand, Master. All of those other men have an ulterior motive for wanting to marry her. She chose me over them because I don’t.”

“That’s a large part of it, but it’s not the whole reason,” Obi-Wan amended. “She loves you for who you are just as you love her for who she is.”

“But how do I know that?” Anakin pressed. “How can I be sure she doesn’t have an ulterior motive for marrying me?”

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to gather himself before explaining, “For one, she doesn’t mind having to keep your marriage a secret. She’s content simply to have what time with you she can, without needing to be able to brag about you or show you off in order to feel like her relationship with you is fulfilling. Other than that…I know this probably isn’t the answer you were looking for, Anakin, but you just have to trust her.”

“I try, Master, I really do, but…” Anakin’s voice trailed off, “it seems like everywhere I turn, the universe is trying to convince me to second-guess myself.”

“Wait, there is another thing,” Obi-Wan said suddenly. “If the average galactic citizen found out that a close friend had massacred an entire village, it would almost certainly ruin their friendship, even if they didn’t report their friend’s actions to the police. I freely admit that I would have gone to the Council had I found out about this when it happened. You and Padmé were—no offense—barely acquaintances at the time all of this occurred, and not only did she agree to keep the secret, she wasn’t scared away by the knowledge of what you were capable of doing with the right provocation.”

“When I got back from the Tusken camp…I don’t know what I would’ve done if she hadn’t been there to calm me down,” Anakin confessed. “I was so angry. Whether it was at the Tuskens for what they’d done to my mother or at myself for not getting there in time to save her, I’m not sure, but Padmé just…asked me what was wrong—Force, she was so young and innocent back then—and without really realizing it, I decided I couldn’t keep it bottled up any longer. I told her everything. I felt like a monster after…what I’d done, but that—that didn’t seem to matter to her. She made me feel like a human being again.”

“Well, now that that’s worked out, we should probably start on lunch,” Obi-Wan suggested, “because I know Sabé will be none too happy if we leave to ‘go fix lunch’ and then come back without having fixed lunch.”

“What are we going to make?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan shrugged. “Roast nerf sandwiches?” he proposed.

“Works for me,” Anakin agreed.

“Hopefully Sabé will find it acceptable,” Obi-Wan commented. “She knows I’m not the greatest cook, so I’m hoping she’ll forgive the simplicity of the meal.”

“She doesn’t exactly have much of a choice,” Anakin pointed out. “Our little excursion wasn’t exactly planned in advance, so we only have what’s normally kept here just in case, and with weather this dreadful, it’s not like we can go into town to restock on food.”

For the next several minutes, they worked in silence to prepare lunch for the group.

“Okay, the sandwiches are ready,” Obi-Wan declared. “Anything else we should serve with them?”

“There should be some blue milk in there,” Anakin replied.

Obi-Wan opened the refrigerator door and peered inside. “I see it. There’s also some shuura fruit in here. Should I cut it up and serve it on the side?”

“Yeah, shuura fruit is one of Padmé’s favorite foods,” Anakin told him. “Hopefully that’ll cheer her up a bit.”

“Maybe it’s just the exhaustion, but she has seemed a bit depressed the past couple days,” Obi-Wan agreed.

“She was starting to feel like her work in the Senate was futile,” Anakin said.

“Well, I can understand her frustration there,” Obi-Wan responded. “It seems like they order more clone troopers at least twice a month.”

“We need that many just to recoup our losses,” Anakin noted, picking up the tray of sandwiches.

“I know,” Obi-Wan replied as they emerged from the kitchen back into the sitting room.

“Lunch is served,” Anakin announced, setting the tray on the table in the middle of the room. Sabé and Ahsoka each grabbed a sandwich and began eating.

Anakin sat down and tapped Padmé on the shoulder. “Lunch is ready.”

When she didn’t respond, he tapped her again. “You awake over there?”

“She’s tired, Anakin,” Sabé piped up from the opposite couch. “Let her sleep. She needs the rest.”

“She also needs to eat,” Anakin replied. Ignoring Sabé’s repeated insistence that Padmé needed rest more than she needed food, he shook his wife gently. Finally, she half-opened one eye and regarded Anakin uncomprehendingly.

“Wha—?” she mumbled.

“Lunch is ready,” Anakin told her, holding out a sandwich.

Padmé turned her head away, burying the side of her face in the couch. “M’not hungry,” she muttered.

Anakin sighed. “Okay…you want some shuura fruit?”

“I said I’m not hungry,” Padmé repeated, her voice muffled by the sofa.

“Come on, Angel, you have to eat something,” Anakin implored.

Padmé’s only response was muffled snoring. Anakin huffed in frustration.

“I told you she needed the sleep,” Sabé interjected smugly.

“Sabé, don’t antagonize him,” Obi-Wan ordered.

“Lighten up a little, Kenobi,” Sabé shot back. To herself, she grumbled, “Nobody gets sarcasm anymore.”

“Why do I put up with this?” Obi-Wan asked aloud to no one in particular.

“Because you love us, dear,” Sabé replied.

“You are _incorrigible_,” Obi-Wan informed her.

“And don’t you forget it, mister,” Sabé teased.

“Ahsoka, perhaps you’d better take the seat between them so they can actually eat their lunch instead of flirting like hormonal teenagers,” Anakin suggested.

Ahsoka grinned. “Gladly.”

Obi-Wan suddenly stopped chewing and slowly set his sandwich back down on the plate, brow furrowed in concentration.

“Something wrong, Master?” Anakin asked.

“Not sure yet,” Obi-Wan replied. “There’s definitely no immediate danger, but I just have this niggling feeling at the back of my mind…it might be nothing, but if it’s not, I don’t know what it is.”

“Well, let us know if you figure it out,” Anakin directed.

“You’ll be the first to know, Anakin,” Obi-Wan assured him.

“The sandwich seems a little dry,” Sabé commented.

Obi-Wan shot her a withering glare. “Look, sweetheart, we didn’t exactly plan on coming out here, so we weren’t able to fully stock the pantry in advance. Just be glad we had any food here at all, because I don’t think any of us are too keen on going out to get food in the middle of a thunderstorm.”

“Okay, okay!” Sabé replied defensively. “I get the point, Obi-Wan! You don’t have to jump down my throat!”

Anakin and Ahsoka locked eyes and sighed in exasperation.

* * *

“The storm is worsening,” Obi-Wan remarked. A flash of lightning cast long shadows across the dimly lit sitting room, punctuating his statement.

Anakin turned to look out the window behind him. “It’s nearly pitch black out there.”

“I hope the _Sundered Heart_ hasn’t been damaged by the storm,” Ahsoka said.

“I checked the lightning rods before we left,” Anakin replied. “They all appeared to be in perfect working condition.”

A deafening thunderclap startled the group from their musings. Instinctually, the three Jedi leapt to their feet, their lightsabers flying to their hands and igniting with a chorus of _snap-hiss_es.

“_Relax!_” Sabé shouted, struggling to contain her laughter. “It’s just thunder.”

“That was far too loud to be ‘just’ thunder,” Anakin objected.

Anakin’s suspicions were confirmed when the charred remains of a small tree branch were thrown against the window, followed by several similarly blackened splinters.

“A lightning bolt must have felled one of the trees,” Obi-Wan surmised, sheepishly extinguishing his lightsaber.

Anakin and Ahsoka extinguished their own weapons and returned them to their belt clips as Sabé continued to chuckle.

“It’s not funny, Sabé,” Padmé scolded her handmaiden, a hint of bitterness coloring her voice.

The Jedi’s heads snapped up to face her in surprise, not having noticed that the thunderclap had jarred her from her slumber. Seeing the hurt expression on Padmé’s face, Anakin moved to comfort her, pulling her into his arms and allowing her to bury her head in his chest. Sabé’s gaze dropped into her lap, her head hung in shame.

“I’m sorry, milady,” Sabé replied apologetically. “I’d forgotten—”

Padmé’s head turned to face Sabé. “See that you not forget again,” she snapped. Another flash of lightning brightened the room momentarily, and Padmé reburied her head in Anakin’s chest. When the ensuing thunderclap sounded, Padmé threw her arms around her husband and pulled herself into his lap.

“Forget what?” Obi-Wan asked in confusion.

Padmé looked up once more, though she kept her arms firmly wrapped around Anakin’s tall frame. “I—I’m afraid of thunderstorms,” she confessed, her eyes welling with unshed tears.

“Shh, it’s okay, Angel,” Anakin whispered soothingly, pulling her back into his chest and resting his chin on the top of her head. “You’re safe. The storm can’t get you in here.”

Sabé took Obi-Wan by the arm and led him into the hallway, her expression one of deep concern.

“This is completely unexpected,” Sabé confided. “She had some issues with thunderstorms when she was younger, but she’s dealt with them just fine since then. I don’t know why she seems to have relapsed all of a sudden.”

“Probably because of all the other stress she’s been under,” Obi-Wan guessed. “She was already having a breakdown because of work-related stress. A thunderstorm on top of all that was probably just too much for her to cope with.”

Sabé didn’t respond, but sullenly paced back and forth with her hands clasped behind her back.

“You’re upset,” Obi-Wan said, attempting to elicit an explanation.

Sabé sighed. “I wish I could say that…all of this…came as a complete surprise to me, but…”

“That’s not the case,” Obi-Wan finished.

Sabé shook her head, laughing nervously. “Even when she was queen, we had to stop her from overworking herself,” she told him, sighing again. Finally meeting his eyes, she continued, “I should have seen this coming, Obi-Wan.”

“Not necessarily,” Obi-Wan replied. “From what I saw of her in the day or so before she had her breakdown, she seemed very good at hiding her stress.”

“Maybe to you, but I’ve known her for over twelve years, Obi-Wan,” Sabé countered. “I should have been paying closer attention. I could have seen the signs earlier.”

Sensing that Sabé was on the verge of a breakdown herself, Obi-Wan quickly closed the gap between them and put an arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, Sabé. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

“This is all my fault,” she sneered tearfully, disgusted with herself for her failure to prevent Padmé’s plight. In a fit of anger, she attempted to squirm free of Obi-Wan’s grasp, but the Jedi Master’s grip held firm.

“You can’t think like that, Sabé,” Obi-Wan told her.

“I can if it’s the truth,” she retorted.

“Which it’s not,” Obi-Wan declared. “Look, I hate to sound callous, but Senator Amidala brought this upon herself. Sure, there might have been warning signs you missed that could have prevented it from getting this far. Yes, she probably would have confided in Anakin had the Council not left us on the Outer Rim for eight months without a single day of leave. The fact remains, however, that it is still ultimately her responsibility to look after her own health, and she failed to do so.”

“I don’t think you understand,” Sabé replied. “I’m her handmaiden. It’s my responsibility to help her look after herself. _I failed her_, Obi-Wan.”

“No, you didn’t, Sabé,” Obi-Wan insisted. “You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. She willfully hid the severity of her condition from you because she knew you would force her to take time off if you knew the amount of stress she was under.”

“She just wanted to do what was best for the people,” Sabé lamented.

“It’s an admirable sentiment, but she doesn’t seem to understand that overworking herself makes her just as ineffective as all the senators who do nothing but line their own pockets,” Obi-Wan said. “She can’t do the most good for the people when she’s too tired to focus and too stressed to think logically.”

“Padmé’s been in politics since she was eight years old,” Sabé told him. “It’s the only way of life she’s ever known. She’s always understood how lucky she is in life, and to her, the idea of putting her own needs above those of everyone else who has so much less than she does is simply unthinkable.”

“And whose fault is that?” Obi-Wan asked.

Sabé’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”

“Whose fault is it that Senator Amidala feels the need to overwork herself to the point of illness simply because there are people less fortunate than her?” Obi-Wan repeated.

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re getting at,” Sabé stammered.

“All Naboo are required to take a position in the government at age twelve, right?” Obi-Wan asked for confirmation.

“Not necessarily,” Sabé corrected. “All Naboo are required to participate in community service starting at age twelve. While that often means a governmental position, there are other ways—”

“Alright, fine, but the point is—they’re _twelve_,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “Younglings on most other worlds would barely have started secondary school at that age.”

“The Naboo place more emphasis on intellectual maturity than chronological age,” Sabé reminded him.

“By forcing their younglings to reach intellectual maturity so quickly that they are unable to enjoy their youth?” Obi-Wan pressed.

“Says the man who leads an organization that begins training its new members at the age of two,” Sabé pointed out.

“My position on the Council doesn’t mean I agree with all of their policies,” Obi-Wan responded. “The Jedi live in isolation from the outside world. As a result, the public doesn’t understand who we are and what we represent because they don’t have the opportunity to interact with us. Taking Force-sensitive younglings away from their families and raising them in that same isolated environment only perpetuates that divide into the next generation of Jedi, not to mention the fact that we are forcing parents to allow us to kidnap their children because of something they have no control over.”

“And yet you condone these policies by remaining a member of the Council,” Sabé accused.

“No, I remain a member of the Council because I recognize that if change is to come, which it must if the Order is to survive in the current political climate, that change must come from the top down,” Obi-Wan countered. “Unfortunately, the Council is dominated by the old guard, so I must bide my time until there are enough progressives on the Council that any sort of reform would have a legitimate chance of passing.”

“The isolation works both ways,” Sabé realized. “The public can’t understand the Jedi, but the Jedi can’t understand the public either.”

“Right, and to compound the issue, the Jedi don’t understand that the public doesn’t understand them,” Obi-Wan added. “The Council has no idea why so many parents are reluctant to give their Force-sensitive younglings over to the Order for training. They think parents should be honored that their child is able to serve such a noble cause. Not only that, they expect parents to understand that their child must be brought to the Temple at such an early age so that they do not become attached to their parents, which supposedly would make them vulnerable to being corrupted by the Dark Side.”

“Do they actually believe that? It sounds like an excuse to me,” Sabé commented.

“It is. It’s an excuse for the Order to take younglings away from their families and indoctrinate them,” Obi-Wan declared. “Whether the conservatives are actually delusional enough to believe their own line, I’m not sure, but I certainly wouldn’t put it past them.”

“How long might it be before the progressives have enough sway to start enacting their agenda?” Sabé asked.

“Hard to say,” Obi-Wan replied. “Both sides’ top priority right now is ending the war. After that, we’ll have to reevaluate the situation. Depending on how far public opinion of the Jedi has fallen by the end of the war, we may have to try and convince the conservatives that reform is the only way to regain public support, without which the Order cannot remain in its current role.”

“What will you do if the conservatives see caving to outside pressure for change as worse than being reduced to insignificance by refusing to compromise their ideals?” Sabé countered.

“That won’t happen,” Obi-Wan assured her. “The Order’s highest ideal is service to the greater good. Being reduced to insignificance would be worse than being dissolved entirely.”

“I thought the Order’s highest ideal was service to the will of the Force,” Sabé objected. “What if the conservatives believe it to be the will of the Force that they hold fast to the Code, even if it means being reduced to insignificance?”

Obi-Wan thought for a moment. “It has seemed in recent years that the Council follows the Code more than they follow the will of the Force. They might be brazen enough to try a stunt like that.”

“And if they did, what then?” Sabé repeated.

“I personally would choose to make my own path outside of the Order, and I strongly suspect Anakin would do the same,” Obi-Wan told her. “As for the progressive movement…I don’t know.”

“Then we’d better hope it doesn’t come to that,” Sabé decided. “What are the other possibilities?”

Obi-Wan sighed. “A lot depends on who else doesn’t survive the war. With Rancisis’ death yesterday, there are now two vacancies on the High Council, and the remaining seats are held by four conservatives, three progressives, and three moderates. I feel confident in saying that the Council won’t tackle reform until the vacancies are filled. A two-thirds majority of the seated Council is required to approve any prospective appointee to the Council, so as it stands right now, the conservatives hold enough seats to block an appointment even if we can win over all three moderates to support our proposed appointee.”

“But if the conservatives can win over all three moderates, they have enough to secure an appointment even if all three progressives vote opposed,” Sabé noted.

“If no more vacancies open up, the best we can do if we win over the moderates is to appoint more moderates,” Obi-Wan agreed.

“Or you could try to stalemate the appointments by continually putting forward the most radical leftists you can find and threaten to push reform through without filling the vacancies,” Sabé proposed. “It’s risky, but it might be the only option if you can’t find anyone else who’s in favor of reform but still moderate enough to get the conservative vote.”

“Well, even though I don’t particularly want it to actually happen, the ideal situation as far as being able to put reform through would be if another conservative were to vacate their seat on the Council,” Obi-Wan said. “Then, if we were to win over all three moderates, we’d have the two-thirds majority we need to fill the vacancies with appointees of our own choosing.”

“If nothing changes, would the conservatives be open to compromising on the appointments?” Sabé asked. “Say, for example, you agree not to block their appointment of some dyed-in-the-gaberwool conservative if they agree not to block your appointment of Master Secura?”

“Only if the moderates were split, and maybe not even then,” Obi-Wan replied. “If we won over all three moderates, the addition of a fourth progressive would give us a simple majority, which is all that’s needed to pass a reform package, and they would never let that happen if they could avoid it. If they had all three moderates, they would have enough to put their own appointees through without needing to compromise.”

“You’re right,” Sabé admitted. “The best chance for reform is if another conservative were to leave the Council.”

“Now, getting back to the point I was originally trying to make,” Obi-Wan said, “Senator Amidala was ruler of an _entire planet_ at the age of _fourteen!_”

“She had the Royal Advisory Council to assist her,” Sabé contended.

“A Royal Advisory Council whose members she was responsible for selecting,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Isn’t that an awful lot of responsibility to be placed on the shoulders of one so young?”

“The people would not have elected her if they did not believe she was capable of handling that responsibility,” Sabé explained calmly. “Besides, Governor Bibble handled most of the day-to-day—”

“_Shavit_, Sabé, that isn’t the point!” Obi-Wan shouted in frustration. “Maybe if Senator Amidala hadn’t been forced to grow up so quickly, she could have learned how to manage her stress properly, and we wouldn’t be out here hiding from the galaxy while she recuperates!”

“And maybe if she hadn’t been forced to grow up so quickly, she’d have chosen her career over her personal happiness and turned down Anakin’s marriage proposal,” Sabé countered. “She certainly wouldn’t have met him when he was a nine-year-old slave boy on Tatooine, which was a large part of what endeared him to her in the first place.”

“The fact remains—” Obi-Wan began in earnest, but then his mind caught up with his ears and he stopped short. When he had recovered from his shock, he continued, “Oh, _wow_. I hadn’t even considered that.”

“Aren’t you Jedi the ones who are always saying ‘everything is as the Force wills it’ or something like that?” Sabé reminded him. “You can’t just take pieces and parts out of a person’s life and expect the rest to stay the same.”

“That isn’t really the intent of that phrase—” Obi-Wan corrected.

“The intent of the phrase, at least how I interpret it, is that everything happens for a reason,” Sabé replied. “Based on some of the stories you’ve told me about your and Anakin’s exploits on the front lines of the war, Padmé seems to be a calming influence on him. Perhaps the Force needed its Chosen One to have someone to turn to for guidance who was outside of the conflict between the Light and the Dark.”

“Outside of the balance,” Obi-Wan finished. “Someone who could ground him in the world of the common citizen. Someone to keep him from making the same mistakes as the Jedi of old. Someone who…”

“Someone who what?” Sabé prompted when his voice trailed off.

“She isn’t outside of the balance at all,” Obi-Wan declared in sudden realization. “She’s _on the other side!_”

“What? You mean like she’s the Light to Anakin’s internal Darkness, and together they keep him on the fine line between them?” Sabé asked in confusion.

“No, that was never it,” Obi-Wan breathed, his mind still racing with the implications of his newfound insight. “That wasn’t it at all. It was never about the Light and the Dark…”

Sabé regarded him in utter disbelief. “_What?_”

“The Prophecy of the Chosen One,” Obi-Wan explained. “Easily the most controversial footnote in the annals of the Jedi Order. Hundreds of renowned Jedi scholars have attempted to decipher its true meaning. The problem is that the prophecy only states that the Chosen One will ‘bring balance to the Force’ and leaves the particulars of what constitutes ‘balance in the Force’ open to interpretation. The prevailing school of thought thus far has been that ‘balance in the Force’ requires a complete eradication of the Dark Side, which that interpretation’s proponents see as a cancerous growth upon the Force that threatens its continued survival.”

“There have been other interpretations, though,” Sabé stated.

Obi-Wan nodded. “The most commonly held of those is that ‘balance in the Force’ indicates the bringing about of a peaceful coexistence between the Light and the Dark. There are several other, less common interpretations, including one notable one that holds ‘balance in the Force’ as referring to the destruction of both the Light and the Dark, to be replaced by a single Force that is neither Light nor Dark. The one thing every interpretation seems to agree on, however, is that the Chosen One is to bring about a balance between the Light Side of the Force and the Dark, which I don’t think is accurate.”

“If not the Light and the Dark, then what?” Sabé asked.

“A balance between those who are Force-sensitive and those who are not,” Obi-Wan explained. “‘Bringing balance to the Force’ simply means a way of life for Force-sensitives that is more similar to that of those who are not Force-sensitive.”

“Being raised by their families, being able to marry and have families of their own, and starting their training at an age closer to when younglings who are not Force-sensitive begin their education,” Sabé listed.

“I think also removing the requirement that all Force-sensitives join the Order,” Obi-Wan added. “Essentially, we would treat being a Jedi more as a career than a way of life.”

“Well, hang on,” Sabé interrupted. “The only problem with your interpretation is that it is the Chosen One who is destined to bring balance to the Force. Everything we just listed is the progressives’ preexisting plans for reform. If Anakin truly is the Chosen One, how is he the one responsible for bringing that about?”

“He planted the seed,” Obi-Wan responded. “He spent the first nine years of his life living outside the Order, so he sees it in a different light than the rest of us, all of whom have been in the Order for as long as we can remember. Who can say whether we would’ve seen the need for change had we not had Anakin to bring an outsider’s perspective to the table?”

“That’s why the conservatives are so afraid of him,” Sabé realized. “They maintain their iron grip by indoctrinating the Order’s new members from infancy and raising them in isolation from the outside world. By bringing Anakin into the fold when he was old enough to remember another way of life, they lost control over the flow of information. They’re afraid members of the Order will realize he has a point and start to question the Council’s policies.”

“Well, that starship has gone to lightspeed,” Obi-Wan declared. “The progressives already hold three seats on the Council, and we have no intention of going away anytime soon.”

“So that’s how you’re going to pitch reform to the conservatives?” Sabé asked. “By explaining the true meaning of the prophecy?”

“They’d never go for it,” Obi-Wan replied. “The High Council in its various incarnations has been debating the prophecy on and off for over twelve hundred years, and the one thing they’d always been able to agree upon was that ‘balance in the Force’ meant a balance between Light and Dark. If I go in there and try to tell them otherwise, they’ll laugh me right out of the Council Chambers. Besides, some of the more far-right conservatives aren’t even fully convinced the prophecy has any meaning in the modern Order, much less that Anakin is the Chosen One to whom it refers.”

Sabé’s brow knit in concentration. “Would the moderates be open to considering your interpretation?”

“Possibly,” Obi-Wan said, “if I can get them to go back and reread the original transcription of the prophecy. When Master Yoda recorded his discourse on the prophecy in the Great Holocron, he quoted it as ‘A Jedi will come to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force,’ probably because that’s how the prevailing wisdom interprets it. Twelve years ago, when Master Qui-Gon first proposed that Anakin might be the Chosen One, I went to the Archives to look at the original language. I thought back then that since it said, ‘a Jedi will come,’ it meant one who had been a member of the Order their whole life. The prophecy itself doesn’t actually specify that the Chosen One will be a Jedi, nor does it say anything about destroying the Sith.”

“Does that mean the Sith have a place in the balance of the Force?” Sabé asked.

“It may not mean anything,” Obi-Wan mused. “It could just be that the destruction of the Sith need not be achieved by the Chosen One, but rather that any sufficiently skilled Jedi would be capable of doing so.”

“Well, consider this: the conservatives don’t particularly care for Anakin and his methods, but they believe his status as the Chosen One makes it necessary that they keep him around to destroy the Sith, right?” Sabé queried.

“Those conservatives who actually believe he is the Chosen One, yes,” Obi-Wan clarified.

“If it’s brought to their attention that the prophecy doesn’t actually require the Chosen One to be a Jedi, you’ve removed their primary reason for tolerating his methods,” Sabé pointed out. “That may be all the impetus they need to move for his expulsion from the Order.”

Obi-Wan frowned. “What would I do if I didn’t have you to point these things out to me?”

“Hey, at least you understand PR,” Sabé reminded him.

Obi-Wan chuckled. “I never thought I’d be using this word to describe him, but Mace is very naïve when it comes to public opinion. It’s actually quite amusing sometimes. He thinks the Jedi can continue to operate without public support as long as we still have Republic funding, without realizing that the Republic might be pressured into cutting off that funding if the Order’s approval rating falls low enough.”

“How far would he be willing to go to keep that funding?” Sabé wondered aloud.

“Why, what are you thinking?” Obi-Wan asked, fearing the answer he might get.

“The High Council is also the GAR’s senior command staff,” Sabé explained. “That makes the Jedi indispensable to the Republic for as long as the war rages. If Windu can find a way to keep the Jedi indispensable to the smooth functioning of the Republic after the end of the war, he won’t need public support to keep the Order’s funding. The Republic would have no choice but to continue funding the Order lest they lose some essential service of which Windu has made the Jedi the sole purveyors.”

“What other essential service could the Jedi offer other than commanding the GAR?” Obi-Wan challenged.

“Then maybe that’s exactly his plan,” Sabé suggested. “Once the Separatist movement is snuffed out, convince the Senate to go after the Hutt Cartel. That keeps the GAR in front-line action, and presumably the Senate will ask the Jedi to remain in command.”

“And after the Hutts are defeated?” Obi-Wan pressed.

“The Pyke Syndicate, the Black Sun, I could keep going,” Sabé replied.

“Still, there are only so many criminal empires to topple,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Where does he go after the last one falls?”

“Most of the Republic’s major worlds are in the Core and the Inner Rim, and most residents of the Core and the Inner Rim don’t like the criminal empires,” Sabé noted. “By going after the criminal empires, the Order would likely regain enough public support that it would no longer need to keep the GAR active in order to retain its funding.”

Their conversation was interrupted when Ahsoka joined them in the hallway. “The senator would like to speak with you,” she informed them.

Obi-Wan and Sabé followed Ahsoka back into the sitting room and returned to their seats on the sofa opposite the window. Padmé, still sitting in Anakin’s lap, smiled nervously at them.

“Sabé, I wanted to apologize for how I reacted earlier,” Padmé said.

“No, you were right, milady,” Sabé replied. “I shouldn’t have been laughing at them for reacting the way they did.”

“Still, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that,” Padmé continued, “but I’m tired, I’ve been under a lot of stress lately, and I guess I just…lost my patience.”

“I understand completely, milady,” Sabé assured her.

“I’m sorry, Sabé,” Padmé told her. “I really am. I wish there were some way I could make it up to you.”

“That really isn’t necessary, milady,” Sabé responded.

“Sabé, we’ve known each other for close to thirteen years now,” Padmé said. “You really don’t have to keep calling me ‘milady,’ especially not when it’s just the five of us.”

“Yes, milady,” Sabé replied, grinning from ear to ear.

“You think this is funny, don’t you? _Don’t you?_” Padmé shot back in mock indignation. “You want funny, I’ll show you funny!”

Without warning, Padmé leapt across the room, landed on top of Sabé, and began to tickle her. Reacting on instinct, Sabé swatted Padmé’s hands away and attempted to return the favor. Their battle continued for several more seconds before they rolled off the couch onto the floor laughing hysterically, still tickling each other. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka exchanged amused glances.

When the girls’ laughter died down almost a minute later, both of them were lying on their backs, smiling at each other. Padmé reached over and took Sabé’s left hand in her right hand.

“How long has it been since we did that, Sabé?” Padmé asked.

“Too long, Padmé,” Sabé replied. “Far too long.”

“Well, I hate to interrupt, but we should probably be getting to bed,” Anakin pointed out. “Padmé needs her beauty rest, don’t you, Angel?”

Padmé yawned. “Beauty has nothing to do with it. I spent the past eight months getting by on four to six hours a night, depending on how busy I was. Now that I’m not working during the day, my body is taking the opportunity to make up for lost time.”

Anakin chuckled. “You’re right, beauty has nothing to do with it. You’re always beautiful, even when you haven’t had a full night’s sleep in eight months.”

Padmé eyed him mock-reproachfully. “You flatter me, Anakin.”

“I’m your husband, it’s part of the job description,” Anakin teased.

“As is helping your wife up to bed when she’s too tired to make it there under her own power, I hope?” Padmé asked, reaching a hand up.

“Of course,” Anakin replied, pulling her to her feet.

Slowly, they made their way up the stairs and into the master bedroom, Padmé leaning on Anakin for support the whole way. When they arrived, Anakin pulled back the covers and allowed Padmé to crawl into bed before climbing in to join her.

“I want you to promise me one thing moving forward, Angel,” Anakin said. “No matter how important whatever issue is being debated in the Senate is, promise me that you will always take enough time out of your day to get a full night’s sleep.”

“I will, Ani. Believe me, I don’t like this any more than you do,” she assured him. Snorting derisively, she continued, “I feel completely useless. I can’t even stay awake for more than two hours at a time.”

“When I got back two nights ago and I saw how badly strung out you were…” Anakin declared, struggling to keep his composure, “it scared me. You really scared me, dammit.”

“I thought I was doing what was best for the Republic,” Padmé told him.

Anakin put his arms around Padmé’s small frame and hugged her close. “I love you, Angel, even if you are too helpful for your own good sometimes.”

Padmé reached one hand behind Anakin’s head and pulled it down to where she could look him in the eyes. “I love you too, Ani, even if your attempts at humor are terrible,” she teased, leaning in for a kiss.

When their lips parted, Padmé was already asleep. For a few minutes, Anakin watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, stroking her hair and absently wondering what he had done to deserve the love of someone so amazing, before he too drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Sun streaming through the window of the Varykino Lake Retreat’s master bedroom awakened Padmé the next morning. She groaned, squinting as her eyes bore the full brunt of the morning sun, and rolled over to face away from the window. Eyes still squeezed shut, she reached out to tap Anakin on the shoulder and awaken him.

“Morning, Ani,” she mumbled into the pillow.

Panic seized her when her hand met nothing but thin air.

“Ani? Ani, where are you?” she called frantically.

As if in response, the door opened and Anakin entered bearing a food-laden tray. “Morning, Angel.”

On seeing him, Padmé sighed in relief and allowed her body to fall back into the mattress. “I didn’t know where you were,” she choked out, panting to catch her breath.

“I made you breakfast in bed,” he told her, smiling.

She eyed him mirthfully. “You could have warned me last night so I didn’t freak out when I woke up and you were gone,” she scolded.

“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise,” Anakin protested.

Padmé shook her head. “Oh, Ani.”

“What?” Anakin shot back defensively, setting the tray down on the bed. “I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

Padmé rolled her eyes indulgently. “Shut up and kiss me.”

Anakin was all too happy to oblige.

* * *

Sabé was still asleep when Obi-Wan returned to their bedroom with her breakfast tray. He set the tray down on the bed and tapped Sabé gently on the arm to awaken her.

“Obi-Wan?” Sabé asked, rolling onto her back to look up at him. When she saw the tray positioned above her, she smiled at him. “Obi-Wan, did you…?”

He nodded. “With Anakin’s help.”

Sabé adjusted the pillow and moved to a seated position. “Obi-Wan, you didn’t have to.”

“Don’t try to tell me you aren’t enjoying this, my love,” Obi-Wan teased. “Besides, Anakin was doing it for Padmé. I didn’t want you to be jealous.”

Sabé quirked an eyebrow in amusement. “I thought Padmé said Anakin wasn’t very good at being romantic. Breakfast in bed seems like quite the romantic gesture to me.”

“Just because he’s not very good at it, doesn’t mean he’s completely lost,” Obi-Wan reminded her.

“So, more of the same today?” Sabé asked.

“One of us will have to go out for food at some point,” Obi-Wan told her. “Let’s not worry about that right now, sweetheart.”

“I know, I should be enjoying my breakfast,” Sabé replied patronizingly. “I’m just a little bored, that’s all.”

“Well, when you’re done with that, I can think of a few ways to pass the time…” Obi-Wan responded.

* * *

By mid-morning, the five inhabitants had made their way back down to the sitting room.

“I wish we could do this more often,” Padmé whispered dreamily, her head resting in Anakin’s lap. “Get away from it all…have a chance to be ourselves for a while.”

“Yeah, I wish we could, too,” Anakin agreed, absently tracing the design on her nightgown with his flesh hand.

The peaceful mood was interrupted by the chime of Obi-Wan’s comlink. “Windu,” he grumbled after glancing at the caller ID. “We’d better take this in the hall, Anakin.”

Sighing in frustration, Anakin gently slid himself out from under Padmé’s head and followed Obi-Wan and Ahsoka into the hall. Obi-Wan tapped a button on his comlink to answer the call.

“This is Kenobi,” he said in a monotone.

“The situation on Saleucami can’t wait any longer,” Windu informed them. “I’m pulling you off the conference to take command of our ground forces there.”

“But Master Yoda—” Anakin protested.

“Yoda’s dead,” Windu interrupted. “Rancisis’ body exploded on the pyre.”

“The threat to the conference is real, Mace,” Obi-Wan objected. “We’ve only been here a day, and already seven delegates have been taken ill under suspicious circumstances.”

“‘Suspicious circumstances’ is stretching it,” Ahsoka said. “It’s probably just food poisoning.”

“Which could easily have been perpetrated by a Separatist agent!” Anakin reminded her.

“I already background-checked all of the waitstaff, Master,” Ahsoka told him. “They’ve all been in the employ of the Naboo Royal House for years.”

“Exactly! Some of them have been there since Veruna’s reign!” Anakin pointed out. “Everyone knows Veruna was taking kickbacks from the Trade Federation, even if no one’s been able to prove it.”

Ahsoka eyed him in disbelief. “What does that have anything to do with it?”

“You don’t think the invasion twelve years ago was a response to Veruna’s ouster, do you?” Obi-Wan asked, picking up on Anakin’s train of thought.

“Even if we go with that ridiculous notion, and even if we assume that some of the waitstaff were in league with the Trade Federation somehow, why would they pick a conference with Alderaan to show themselves?” Ahsoka countered.

“Deprive Naboo of their political allies,” Anakin explained. “Make them vulnerable to another invasion.”

“More likely, they’re trying to get Senator Amidala’s attention,” Obi-Wan suggested. “If the conference goes badly enough, Queen Neeyutnee might request Amidala’s presence on Naboo to try and smooth things over. If they’re really lucky, she might bring Alderaan’s Senator Organa with her and give the Separatists a chance to spear two fleek-eels with one trident.”

“You have to stop seeing a Separatist conspiracy in every little mishap, Masters,” Ahsoka scolded them. “This is exactly what they want. They want us paranoid. They want us always looking over our shoulders. They want us—”

“We get the idea, Snips,” Anakin cut her off.

“Alright, that’s quite enough, you three,” Windu said, making his presence known once more. “I’ll send Master Tiin to take over—”

Obi-Wan held up a hand to stop Windu before he could finish. “I promised Senator Organa I would personally see to the safety of this conference, and I do not intend to go back on that promise. I’m sure Saesee can handle the situation on Saleucami—”

“Master Tiin may be the Order’s premier starfighter ace, but his infantry tactics leave something to be desired,” Windu objected.

“The Jedi Order does not need the kind of publicity that would result from it becoming public that a Master of the High Council broke a promise he made to a senator,” Obi-Wan replied, ignoring the implied insult to Anakin’s piloting skills.

Windu growled in frustration. “Very well,” he acquiesced. Turning to his right, he signaled to the on-duty communications technician to terminate the connection.

“They’re feeding us a line,” Tiin declared.

“The Trade Federation invaded Naboo twelve years ago because Veruna had been antagonizing them by trying to renegotiate the plasma-export contract,” Kolar added. “Why would he pull something like that if he had been taking kickbacks?”

“Just to play Sith’s advocate, maybe he wanted an even bigger kickback,” Tiin suggested.

“That whole argument was just a misdirection to try and throw us off the trail,” Windu reminded them. “Let’s not waste time pointing out all the flaws.”

“The question is, what are they really doing out there?” Tiin asked.

“They took Organa’s ship,” Kolar noted. “Maybe they told him why they wanted it.”

“I’ll look into it,” Windu decided. As the three made their way out of the Temple Communications Chamber, they passed Master Fisto entering.

“Masters,” Fisto greeted them.

Windu, Kolar, and Tiin nodded to him in response.

“Have we reestablished contact with the 327th yet?” they heard Fisto asked the technician.

“That’s the third time he’s been in here trying to get ahold of the 327th since the attack,” Windu mused.

“Master Secura commands the 327th,” Kolar responded. “They’ve been…_close_ since he saved her life during the clone nanovirus incident.”

“Too close, do you think?” Windu asked.

Checking to make sure they were out of Fisto’s earshot, Kolar leaned in and whispered, “Do I _think_ they’ve violated the Code? Yes. Do I have any hard evidence to back it up? Unfortunately not. It’s just a suspicion right now.”

“The 327th is on Saleucami right now,” Tiin pointed out. “If we sent Fisto to take command there, since Skywalker and Kenobi can no longer be trusted…”

“…we might be able to catch them in the act,” Windu finished.

Kolar shook his head. “They’re too careful for that.”

“We wouldn’t necessarily have to catch them undressing each other,” Tiin said. “Even if we can get Fisto to show undue favoritism toward Secura, we can use that as the basis for a more thorough investigation and reveal the actual Code violation that way.”

“It could work,” Windu agreed. “We’d have to send someone along to keep tabs on them, and we’d need an excuse for them to be there.”

“We’ve established that the incident at Rancisis’ funeral was not an accident, right?” Kolar asked.

Windu nodded. “Rancisis’ body was torn apart from the inside out. Some sort of explosive had to have been planted inside of it.”

“And that could have been done by someone on Saleucami before the body was transported back to Coruscant, right?” Kolar proposed.

Catching onto Kolar’s line of reasoning, Windu nodded again. “Are you volunteering to investigate the Saleucami angle of the attack?”

“If you believe I would be the best choice to carry out this investigation,” Kolar replied.

“Inform Master Fisto he’s been selected to replace Rancisis as commander of ground forces on Saleucami,” Windu instructed. When Kolar had departed, he continued, “Master Tiin, assemble a strike force to bring Kenobi and Skywalker in once I get Organa to spill the beans. Be ready to leave for Naboo on my signal.”

“Jedi or clones?” Tiin asked.

“Jedi,” Windu told him. “This is an internal matter. The Senate’s been complaining about us using GAR resources for Order business. I don’t want to give them any more ammunition to use against us.”

“Understood,” Tiin concurred.

As Tiin was turning to depart, he and Windu were approached by Master Allie. “I’ll be frank, Master Windu. I don’t think these new security measures are a good idea for the Order’s public image.”

“We’ve been attacked on our home turf, and I have very good reason to believe this was an inside job,” Windu countered. “We have to flush out the Dark Jedi walking among us. Ramping up security is the best way to do that.”

“If public opinion of the Jedi is to improve, the people have to see us as sentient beings, not organic droids,” Allie explained. “By canceling scheduled leave, you make it seem like the Jedi don’t actually need time off, which only strengthens the perception of us as being different from the average citizen.”

“So you’d rather we be seen letting traitors run about in our midst wreaking havoc on our day-to-day operations?” Windu challenged.

“No, I’m just saying there has to be a better way to go about this,” Allie replied. “It’s too much of a knee-jerk reaction. You don’t even have any suspects yet!”

“Which is why we need the enhanced security measures,” Windu said. “We have to start somewhere. We also need to be seen taking steps to end the war, which means going after the Separatist leadership. Intelligence reports indicate Dooku has returned to his private residence on Serenno and is licking his wounds. Your mission, Master Allie, is to go to Serenno, infiltrate the compound, and assassinate the count. You may leave as soon as you are ready.”

Allie bowed slightly. “Yes, Master.”

When Allie was out of earshot, Tiin turned to Windu and muttered, “Unlike her late cousin, Master Allie is a healer first and a swordswoman second. Even if Dooku is injured, he should be able to dispatch her easily.”

“That’s exactly what I’m counting on,” Windu replied.

* * *

_“Master Windu here to see you, Senator,”_ the voice of Bail Organa’s top aide, Sheltay Retrac, filtered through his office intercom.

“The Finance Committee is due to convene in fifteen minutes. Tell him he’ll have to come back later,” Organa instructed.

_“He insists it’s urgent, Senator,”_ Retrac told him. _“Shall I call security?”_

Organa glanced up at the chronometer on his desk and sighed. “No, I suppose I can squeeze him in if he promises to make it quick. Send him in, Sheltay.”

Windu’s mouth was open even before the door had closed behind him. “Senator, the Jedi Council would like to ask you a few questions about the diplomatic conference currently underway on Naboo.”

“I hope you don’t mind if I keep working on this proposal while I answer your questions, Master Jedi,” Organa prefaced his remarks, holding up the datapad in his hand. “Yes, Master Kenobi informed me that several delegates on both sides had been mysteriously taken ill, and that the remaining delegates were accusing each other of attempting to sabotage the talks. I’m hoping it’ll turn out to be a bad batch of blue milk, but as a precaution, I’ve placed my ship on standby in case the situation devolves to the point where it requires my personal attention.”

“It’s funny you should say that, because I was led to understand it was your ship that transported the Alderaanian delegation and the Jedi escorts to Naboo for the conference,” Windu commented.

“Is it forbidden for a senator to have two ships?” Organa asked, feigning surprise. “If so, I’m afraid most of the Senate will have to be dismissed.”

“Senator, the Jedi Council has reason to believe that the conference is in fact an elaborate ruse constructed by Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker for purposes we are attempting to determine,” Windu informed him. “Since it was your ship that transported them to Naboo, we were wondering if you had any idea what they might be doing out there.”

“Poisoning my delegates,” Organa replied, completely straight-faced. “I spoke last night with the leader of the Alderaanian delegation, who was among those taken ill. He looked quite unwell.”

“Do you have a recording of that conversation, Senator?” Windu requested.

“It was a personal communication, Master Jedi,” Organa responded. “The Alderaanian government does not record its employees’ personal communications. Master Jedi, I personally handled the arrangements for this conference with Queen Neeyutnee herself while I was on Naboo attending the Festival of Light. If this is some sort of ruse perpetrated by Master Kenobi and Jedi Skywalker, it is a _very_ far-reaching one.”

“Did your man say anything that might hint at what Skywalker and Kenobi are attempting to accomplish with this deception?” Windu asked.

“Master Jedi, as chairman of the Military Oversight Committee, I feel I should inform you of a proposal currently under consideration to supplement the Jedi Generals with non-Force-sensitive commanders drawn from the ranks of the various Planetary Security Forces,” Organa said, still not looking up from his datapad. “There are even some members of the Committee calling for PSF commanders to replace the Jedi Generals entirely.”

Windu crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you threatening me, Senator?”

“We would, of course, keep some of the more well-liked Jedi Generals on as subcontractors,” Organa continued nonchalantly. “I’d hate to think how the public might react if they found out Generals Kenobi and Skywalker were being relieved of their positions.”

Before Windu could respond, his comlink chimed. “Excuse me, I have to take this. We’ll continue this discussion at a later time.”

As he was making his way back through the outer office, Windu heard Organa’s voice come through the intercom on Retrac’s desk, _“If Master Windu returns before I leave for the Finance Committee, call security.”_

Choosing to ignore Organa’s blatant attempt at provocation, Windu left the outer office without acknowledging that he had overheard the instruction. When he was in the hallway and the door had closed behind him, he pulled out his comlink.

“This is Windu,” he answered.

Windu was mildly surprised when it was Ahsoka’s blue-tinted figure that appeared out of his comlink’s holoprojector. “Master Windu, I have something to tell you.”

“The conference is a sham, isn’t it?” Windu surmised.

Ahsoka nodded. “Senator Amidala became ill two days ago. Master Skywalker—the senator’s wife—, Master Kenobi, and one of the senator’s body doubles—Master Kenobi’s lover—escorted her back to Naboo, while another of her body doubles attended yesterday’s vote in her place.”

“Organa loaned them an Alderaanian ship so no one would know the girl in the Naboo pod wasn’t actually Amidala,” Windu reasoned. “The only thing that doesn’t make sense is why he would stick his neck out for her.”

“He wanted to make sure Naboo cast its vote against yesterday’s bill, and he didn’t trust Binks not to get tricked into voting in favor?” Ahsoka suggested.

“I certainly wouldn’t trust Binks as far as I could throw him, but I still can’t wrap my head around why Organa would place so much value on that one vote that he would be willing to risk his career to get it,” Windu replied.

“Look at the Military Creation Act vote,” Ahsoka reminded him. “Binks somehow got it into his head that Amidala was in favor of that vote, and I’d guess half the senators who voted in favor of it did so because they thought it’s what Amidala would’ve wanted. She’s practically worshipped in that building. Organa probably wanted to avoid a repeat.”

“Whatever the reason he did it, he did it,” Windu declared with a shrug. “I assume Skywalker and Kenobi don’t know you’re telling me all this?”

Ahsoka nodded. “They think I’m at the market getting supplies for them right now.”

“Then you’d better go to market to get supplies for them when we’re done here,” Windu told her. “I’ve got Master Tiin assembling a strike team to bring them in, but they probably won’t arrive until tomorrow morning at the earliest.”

“You need me to play it cool until then so they don’t get spooked and try to pull a runner,” Ahsoka finished.

“Exactly. Just keep your head down and act like there’s nothing out of the ordinary. Windu out.”

Ahsoka watched as the hologram of Windu disappeared back into the _Sundered Heart_’s communications console.

“And thus the chance cube is thrown,” she remarked to herself.

* * *

When Ahsoka opened the door to the lake retreat, arms laden with food, her ears were immediately assaulted by the sound of Obi-Wan’s voice.

“Master Windu, this is outrageous,” he was shouting. “You think we had something to do with the attack on Rancisis’ funeral?”

“You were scheduled for a week’s leave,” Windu replied calmly. “After finding out about Rancisis’ death and being informed of when the funeral pyre was to be lit, you accepted a mission of questionable legitimacy while on leave that would take you off Coruscant and prevent you from attending the lighting of the funeral pyre. You have to admit, it sounds pretty suspicious.”

“It _sounds_ like you are grasping at straws,” Obi-Wan shot back. “If this little theory of yours is true, where’s the opportunity? Rancisis was still alive when we last left the Temple, and by the time we left Coruscant for our mission, which is completely legitimate, why thank you, Rancisis’ body hadn’t even arrived yet. How could we have sabotaged the funeral pyre when we were never on Coruscant at the same time as the body?”

“You needn’t have carried out the sabotage personally,” Windu pointed out. “The actual dirty work could easily have been performed by an accomplice. The fact of the matter is that you knew the attack was to occur and you made an excuse to not attend the lighting of the funeral pyre. That’s evidence enough that you’ve fallen to the Dark Side of the Force.”

“You’ve got no proof,” Anakin scoffed.

“Let’s see, hours after being informed that Oppo Rancisis is dead and his funeral pyre is to be lit the next evening, you concoct a fake mission—” Windu began.

“For the last time, Mace, there is a very real threat to this conference!” Obi-Wan protested.

“There isn’t even a conference!” Windu shouted. “I checked the manifest. There were only five people aboard the _Sundered Heart_ when it left Coruscant, and three of those were you two and Padawan Tano.”

“Check the manifest again. There were fourteen people aboard the _Sundered Heart_ when it left Coruscant,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Your lies are getting bolder, Kenobi,” Windu commented.

“It is no lie, Mace,” Obi-Wan repeated. “If you check that manifest again, you will find that the _Sundered Heart_ left Coruscant with fourteen beings aboard.”

“We’re getting sidetracked,” Windu said. “You concocted a fake mission that just so happened to take you off-planet at the time Rancisis’ funeral pyre was to be lit. That is simply too convenient to be a coincidence.”

Anakin snorted. “Good luck getting the Senate to buy that.”

“I don’t have to,” Windu countered. “This is an internal Jedi matter. There’s no need to involve the Senate. A group of Jedi led by Master Tiin will be arriving tomorrow morning to take you into custody.”

Windu cut the communication before Anakin or Obi-Wan could respond.

“He’s bluffing,” Anakin declared immediately. “I filed that manifest myself. There were definitely fourteen names on it.”

“What worries me is that he claimed there were five,” Obi-Wan noted. “Not three, five. Either he just picked a number out of thin air and got lucky, or he’s onto us.”

Ahsoka realized she would need to do some fast-talking in order to cover Windu’s slip. “I doubt he’s actually looked at the manifest you filed, or if he did, he’s assuming you faked the manifest to match up with your cover story.”

“If that were the case, why didn’t he back up his accusation that the conference was faked by accusing us of also faking the manifest?” Anakin pointed out. “More likely he just assumed we were in a hurry to get off-planet and got sloppy in our haste.”

“But that still leaves the question: why did he say five and not three?” Obi-Wan reminded them.

“Two pilots,” Ahsoka proposed. “If Windu’s working on the assumption that the conference doesn’t exist, regardless of whether he has proof, it would be logical to assume Senator Organa is in on the plot since he supplied the ship. Following that train of thought, if Senator Organa supplied the ship, he probably also supplied the flight crew. Since this was undertaken in secret, he would want to keep the number of personnel to a minimum. Minimum crew for a CR70 corvette is two pilots. Two pilots plus three of us makes five people aboard the _Sundered Heart_ when it left Coruscant, just as Master Windu claimed.”

Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other for a long moment as if considering the likelihood that Ahsoka’s theory was correct.

“Alright, as far as we know, Windu has a bunch of suspicions but he can’t prove anything, and his attempt to tie us to the attack relies too much on circumstantial evidence for it to hold up to any sort of scrutiny,” Anakin summarized. “So the million-credit question is this: is Tiin actually on his way here to take us in, or is Windu just trying to spook us into making a mistake?”

“The better question to ask is, if we move forward under the assumption Windu’s bluffing, can we afford to be wrong?” Ahsoka countered.

“Consider this,” Obi-Wan said suddenly. “Windu’s reasonably certain we’re not out here for the reason we claim, but unless he’s actually convinced himself we knew Rancisis’ funeral was to be attacked, he doesn’t have any guesses as to the real reason we’re out here.”

“Unless Snips is wrong about her theory that five was referring to us and two pilots, in which case he knows exactly why we’re out here and is probably counting on us thinking he doesn’t know why we’re out here,” Anakin pointed out.

“Well, assuming Ahsoka’s theory is right, which I believe it likely is, then our secret is still safe,” Obi-Wan replied. “If we stay out here on the assumption he’s bluffing, and we’re wrong, then Tiin has to come looking for us. He finds us at Varykino with Sabé and Senator Amidala, and if we want our relationships to stay a secret, we had better have a very good explanation for what they’re doing out here.”

“We could claim we were squatting,” Anakin suggested.

“What worries me is that I can’t tell whether that comment was intended to be humorous,” Obi-Wan riposted. “Either way, consider then the other option: we assume Windu is not bluffing. If we go into Theed—because Tiin almost certainly has to arrive via Theed Spaceport—and surrender ourselves to Tiin, he doesn’t have to come looking for us. If he doesn’t have to come looking for us, the Jedi don’t show up on Varykino’s doorstep, allowing Sabé and Senator Amidala to remain safely hidden. If it turns out Windu was bluffing, we simply return to Varykino and carry on with our lives.”

“Trouble is, with Yoda dead, the Council’s down to nine,” Anakin pointed out. “You’re the one on trial, so that brings it down to eight voting members: Windu, Kolar, and Tiin for the conservatives; Mundi, Koon, and Ti for the moderates; and Fisto and Allie for the progressives. Windu’s the obvious choice to succeed Yoda as grand master, which would put him in the perfect position to manufacture evidence of our role in the attack on Rancisis’ funeral. If his evidence is convincing enough, we lose the moderates.”

“Except that Fisto and Allie know the truth and won’t be taken in by Windu’s fabricated evidence,” Obi-Wan said. “Declaring a Jedi fallen to the Dark Side and ordering their execution requires a unanimous vote.”

“What happens if the vote isn’t unanimous?” Anakin asked. “Would we be free to return to duty?”

“Yes, but if there’s no motion to vote, they can claim that the investigation is still underway and keep us in lockup until the vote,” Obi-Wan explained. “There’s no limit on how long they can keep investigating after they make an arrest before they have to either bring it to a vote or drop the matter.”

“What about expulsion?” Ahsoka suggested. “Suppose Windu simply moved to have us expelled from the Order. Would that also require unanimity?”

“Expulsion requires a nine-tenths majority,” Obi-Wan told them. “In this case, since there would only be eight votes cast, a single dissenter would be sufficient to defeat the motion.”

“If he wins over all three moderates with his fake evidence, that gives him a two-thirds majority,” Anakin reminded him. “He could fill the vacancies with yes-men and then arrange for Fisto and/or Allie to suffer an ‘unfortunate accident.’”

“Anakin, you speak of murder!” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Windu may be out to get us, but he wouldn’t stoop that low to do it.”

“I don’t want to commit to a course of action that could potentially separate us from Padmé and Sabé indefinitely,” Anakin declared.

“All of our other options risk their being discovered,” Obi-Wan countered. “This way ensures that Windu won’t find out if he doesn’t already know.”

“And if he does already know, what then?” Anakin pressed.

Obi-Wan thought for a moment. “Then we get Bail to expose everything. The galaxy already sees the Jedi as less than beings. If they find out the Council is trying to ruin two well-respected members of the Order simply because they fell in love—a completely normal occurrence for most sentients—the resulting media firestorm will turn public opinion irrevocably against the conservatives.”

“I don’t like it,” Ahsoka said. “Public opinion is too unpredictable. A relationship between a Jedi and a senator could be seen as a conflict of interest. We might wind up turning the people against us by mistake.”

“If it gets to the point where that option is on the table, our backs are already against the wall,” Obi-Wan reminded her. “The choice would be between that and letting the conservatives win. Even if the public does turn against us, which I find unlikely, I’d rather go down fighting than give Windu the satisfaction.”

“It may be more effective used against him as a threat,” Anakin suggested. “If you take us out, we bring you down with us.”

“More than that, we bring the whole Order down with us,” Obi-Wan added. “By upholding the principles he stands for, he would be destroying the Order dedicated to upholding those same principles, an Order he is sworn to protect. It would certainly give him pause for thought.”

“I still think it’s too risky,” Ahsoka protested.

“As I said earlier, this is a last resort,” Obi-Wan repeated. “No risk is too great at the point where we would actually be implementing this.”

“If you’re sure you know what you’re doing, Masters,” Ahsoka relented.

* * *

“And you’re going to just leave us out here?” Padmé shouted incredulously.

“We don’t think Windu knows about our relationships with you,” Obi-Wan explained calmly. “This is the only response that ensures it stays that way.”

“How long do you expect us to hide out here?” Padmé asked furiously. “A week? A month? Longer?”

“The Order must change if it is to stay relevant on the galactic stage, and what’s more, that change has to start at the very top with the Council itself!” Obi-Wan insisted. “If we’re thrown out of the Order, we will no longer be in a position to bring about the change the Order desperately needs!”

“And if Windu won’t budge?” Padmé pressed. “If the two of you are forced to become martyrs for change, what then? _What becomes of me and Sabé then?_”

“We won’t become martyrs for change,” Anakin assured his wife. “That wouldn’t work anyway.”

“You still haven’t answered my original question,” she said. “How long are Sabé and I supposed to hide out here? There’s still work to be done in the Senate—”

“The whole reason we came out here in the first place is because you were overworking yourself and needed time off to rest!” Anakin reminded her.

“Which I have!” she pointed out.

“Angel, please, calm down—” Anakin pleaded.

“_I will not calm down!_” Padmé shouted, her expression daring him to make her. “My first duty is to the people of the Republic, even before our marriage! If you can’t get it through that thick skull of yours that your damn crusade for us to be able to express our love openly _isn’t my top priority_, then I’m sorry, but we can’t be together anymore.”

Though Padmé’s expression was one of pure rage, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Anakin’s mouth dropped open in shock and disbelief. Obi-Wan stepped in to fill the void.

“Senator, this is for the good of the Republic,” Obi-Wan told her. “Without change, the Order cannot gain the support it needs to win this war and reunify the Republic.”

“_I don’t want the Republic to win this war!_” Padmé snarled. “I want an end to the bloodshed! I want for a diplomatic solution to be found, and if that means letting the Separatists break away from the Republic, then so be it!”

“And if a diplomatic solution can be found, the Republic—and the Confederacy, if it remains in existence—will need the Jedi to maintain the peace and ensure that the treaty is carried out, which they will not be able to do without the kind of sweeping change we are talking about!” Obi-Wan countered.

“If the Jedi want to regain public trust, they need to be seen working together with the Republic to achieve change that will be beneficial to both,” Padmé replied, her voice still thick with emotion. “This is the perfect opportunity for us to work together to get what we both want. Why do you insist on leaving me out of it?”

“Quite frankly, because you are a senator of the Republic,” Obi-Wan explained. “The conservatives are very set in their ways. They will see that kind of collaboration as giving in to external pressure. I know you want to help, but the change has to come from the inside out or it won’t come at all.”

“And how long are we supposed to wait for change to come?” Padmé was yelling again, but her façade of righteous anger was beginning to crumble. “If the conservatives are as stubborn as you say, convincing them of the necessity of change could take weeks, even months! How long are Sabé and I supposed to stay out here hiding like cowards while you try to get the Council to see reason?”

By the time she reached the end of her tirade, Padmé was struggling to contain her emotional turmoil. Sensing her distress, Anakin was by her side in an instant, but when he attempted to embrace her, she slapped his arms away in anger.

“I want answers, not coddling!” she spat out.

“Padmé—” Anakin began.

“How long are we supposed to wait?” she asked, punctuating each word with a punch to Anakin’s chest.

“It shouldn’t be more than a day or two,” Obi-Wan answered. “Remember, we’re not going back to fight for change yet; this is just to establish that Windu’s accusation that we were involved in the attack on Rancisis’ funeral is based on flimsy circumstantial evidence that will never stand up to scrutiny. Once we’ve made that point, we’ll come back and start making our plan for how to sell reform to the Council.”

Padmé whirled and eyed Obi-Wan venomously but found herself unable to maintain her anger. “I wish you would have consulted me _before_ you decided that turning yourselves in was the best option,” she sulked.

“It wouldn’t have changed the facts of the situation,” Obi-Wan replied. “As far as we can tell, Windu doesn’t know that Anakin and I are in relationships. His evidence for our connection to the bombing is shaky at best, but I don’t think we can take the chance that he’s bluffing about Tiin being on his way here to apprehend us. Even if he is just trying to goad us into a mistake, we have too much to lose by incorrectly assuming that to be the case.”

“I think it’s better to go on the run,” Padmé declared.

Obi-Wan shook his head quickly. “That would jeopardize our appearance of being wrongfully accused. Allowing ourselves to be arrested while maintaining our innocence is a show of defiance. It sends a message to Windu that we know his accusations are false and we trust that the system will prove it, but more importantly, it shows the world that we have nothing to hide. Going on the run vindicates Windu. It admits to the world the existence of some secret we’re afraid would be revealed in a confrontation, even though it doesn’t reveal what that secret is.”

“Everyone would assume the secret is that Windu’s accusations are true,” Sabé mused, contributing to the discussion for the first time. “Could we turn that to our advantage by subverting their expectations? Reveal what the secret actually is, and claim we were forced to go on the run to prevent the Council from suppressing the truth?”

“You mean paint ourselves as whistle-blowers?” Padmé asked. “It might work.”

Obi-Wan shook his head again. “That would put on the outside looking in. Change has to come from the inside. That’s non-negotiable. Look, I know you don’t like this plan, but we have to keep up appearances. You of all people should understand that, Senator.”

Padmé glowered at him. “Damn you, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” she fumed, turning on her heel and stalking out of the room.

Obi-Wan shot Anakin a look of questioning disbelief, a few stifled vocalizations escaping his throat. Anakin huffed wordlessly and threw up his hands in agreement.

“She has a point, you know,” Sabé told them. “I get that self-sacrifice is part of being a Jedi, but we’re in this together. This really is a decision we should have made together. All of us.”

“Look, if I thought Windu had figured us out, I would agree with her that we should go to ground, because at that point, the fact that he has no real evidence against us on the bombing would be irrelevant since that would just be a cover story for the real reason he’d be going after us,” Obi-Wan protested. “However, I don’t think he realizes what he’s stumbled upon, and I have no intention of helping him figure it out by doing something rash.”

Sabé sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You don’t get it, do you?”

“Apparently not,” Obi-Wan shot back.

“She doesn’t disagree with your conclusion,” Sabé explained. “She’s upset that you didn’t include her in your decision-making process.”

“Look, we got the call from Windu, and as soon as he disconnected, we started talking over our options, alright?” Anakin said defensively.

“No, not alright,” Sabé replied. “You couldn’t have waited thirty seconds for us to be able to offer our opinions?”

Anakin found himself suddenly fascinated by the designs on the carpeting.

“Jedi Skywalker,” Sabé began solemnly, “perhaps it would be for the best if the two of us were to switch rooms, at least for tonight.”

“That’s fine,” Anakin replied absently. “I doubt I’ll be getting much sleep tonight anyways. No sense in me keeping the senator up when she needs as much sleep as she can get.”

“Hey, don’t I get a say in this?” Obi-Wan protested.

“No, Master Kenobi, you don’t get a say in this,” Sabé declared bluntly. “You didn’t think our opinions were worthy of consideration. Why should we be any more receptive to yours than you were to ours?”

With that, Sabé stood from the sofa and left to find Padmé.

“Care to continue our spar from yesterday morning, Anakin?” Obi-Wan proposed halfheartedly.

“Sure, why not,” Anakin agreed with equally little enthusiasm.

“Ahsoka, we’ll be out in the clearing where you landed the _Sundered Heart_,” Obi-Wan informed her. “Let us know if Master Windu makes contact again.”

“Will do, Masters,” Ahsoka promised.


	7. Chapter 7

It was approaching dusk when the _Nu_-class attack shuttle carrying Masters Kit Fisto and Agen Kolar touched down outside the encampment that served as the Grand Army of the Republic’s headquarters on Saleucami. When the cabin light turned green, the pair disembarked and made their way inside the command center.

Arriving inside the command center, they were greeted by Master Quinlan Vos. “Welcome to Saleucami. Master Fisto, I understand you’ll be taking command of our forces here?”

Fisto nodded. “What’s our status?”

Vos exhaled slowly, placing one hand on the back of his neck as he made his way to the holotable and activated it, causing a holographic map of the battlefield to spring into existence. “These are the last known positions of all our units. Unfortunately, we still haven’t been able to reestablish contact with the 327th Star Corps. Part of the problem, I suspect, is that they’re covering the northwest quadrant of the encirclement, and we’re in the southeast quadrant, which means our line of sight to their position is blocked by the Separatists.”

“That didn’t cause a problem before,” Fisto pointed out. “Why is it causing one now?”

“We’ve been trying to determine that for two days,” Vos replied. “All we know is that we’re not being jammed.”

“Master Vos,” Kolar interrupted, “as you may or may not be aware, the lighting of the late Master Rancisis’ funeral pyre was the target of a terrorist attack which killed five Jedi, including Grand Master Yoda.”

Vos paled. “Oh, my. Master Yoda is dead?”

Kolar nodded. “Hard to imagine, I know, but the Separatists will be looking to press any advantage they can gain from this.”

“You think a Separatist agent may have been responsible for the attack?” Vos asked.

“It’s a very strong possibility,” Kolar answered. “I’ll need to speak with anyone who had access to Rancisis’ body between the time of his death and when it was transferred to the _Majestic_ for the return voyage to Coruscant.”

Vos’ brow furrowed. “Wait, you think someone on Saleucami could have been responsible for the attack?”

“We have to investigate all possibilities,” Kolar replied.

“Okay, then why don’t you start with me,” Vos suggested. “Master Rancisis was killed during a Separatist artillery strike against our headquarters. Now, at the time this occurred, the headquarters was set up about 25 klicks to the northeast of our current position. We were closing up shop in preparation for the move to our current position when Master Rancisis was struck by a piece of shrapnel that pierced his chest. He was one with the Force by the time his body hit the ground.”

“What became of his body after that?” Kolar asked.

“We packed it in a refrigeration unit, loaded the reefer into a cargo transport, and took it with us to the new headquarters site,” Vos told him.

“Who supervised that operation?” Kolar asked.

“I oversaw the packing and loading myself,” Vos replied. “I don’t recall which transport we loaded it in, but I know it was one that wasn’t carrying any personnel other than the pilots.”

Kolar’s brow furrowed. “There was no loadmaster?”

“The trooper who would have been the loadmaster was killed in the attack,” Vos explained.

“I see,” Kolar responded evenly. “And did you personally interact with the body again before it was transferred to the _Majestic_?”

Vos shook his head. “The personnel from the _Majestic_ supervised the transfer.”

“I’ll check the manifests to see which transport it was loaded in,” Kolar informed him. “That’s all the questions I have for you at this time. You may return to your duties.”

“Let’s start looking at the tactical situation,” Fisto requested. “I’d rather this not become a long, drawn-out affair. What are my options for ending things quickly?”

“Well, I’m reluctant to take any major action until we can reestablish communications with the 327th,” Vos said.

Fisto nodded. “Agreed. Alright, have the troops hold their ground while we work out how to get the 327th linked back into the comm network.”

“That’s what we’ve been doing,” Vos replied.

“I’ll take the opportunity to get myself caught up on the situation,” Fisto decided. “Have the latest intelligence reports sent to my quarters.”

“They’ll be waiting for you when you arrive,” Vos promised.

“And ensure I’m not disturbed unless it’s an emergency,” Fisto ordered.

As Fisto was turning to leave, an idea struck him. “Master Vos, have we tried contacting Master Secura on her personal comlink?”

Vos shook his head. “We’ve tried Commander Bly’s, but not hers. I can’t see why we’d be able to reach one but not the other.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Fisto said. “Comms, open a channel to General Secura’s personal comlink.”

“Yes, General,” the communications officer on duty acknowledged.

Fisto leaned forward on the edge of the holotable, waiting for an indication of whether his attempt had been successful. After a moment, the holoprojector activated, showing an image of Jedi Master Aayla Secura.

“You’ve been out of contact for two days,” Fisto stated. “What happened?”

“My forward command center was taken out in a Confederate artillery strike,” Secura explained. “We’ve been pinned down under constant bombardment ever since. I’ve sent Talon Squad forward in an attempt to locate the batteries keeping us pinned, but it’s slow going.”

“They’ve been maintaining an artillery bombardment for _two days straight?_” Fisto asked incredulously.

Secura nodded. “I can’t figure how they’ve done it. Their guns should have overheated long ago by now.”

“We may have to consider the possibility that our intelligence reports are inaccurate,” Fisto told her grimly. “Where are you on restoring communications?”

Secura shook her head. “The main relay is a total loss, and we don’t have a spare with us. You’re going to have to find a way to get one out to our position.”

“Which will be nearly impossible as long as the artillery barrage persists,” Fisto mused. “We have to silence the Confederate artillery—but how?”

“How indeed,” Vos agreed. “Unless they’ve got another battery we aren’t aware of, all of their artillery is inside the shield perimeter.”

“Lovely,” Fisto remarked sarcastically. “So to get a new communications relay out to the 327th, we have to knock out the artillery, and to knock out the artillery, we have to knock out the shield.”

“Not necessarily,” Vos said. “It’s risky, but if we can’t come up with any ideas for taking down the shield, it may be our best option: we give their artillery a new target.”

“What can we give them that would be enticing enough for them to refocus their artillery fire on the new target?” Fisto asked.

“The Separatists think I’m their spy in the Republic ranks,” Vos explained. “They know we moved our headquarters after the attack that killed Rancisis, but they don’t know where. If I feed them falsified coordinates of our new headquarters, we should be able to get them to turn their artillery against what they think is our overall headquarters.”

“Alright, wait until we can get the new relay loaded into a transport and in position to be brought to them before you make contact,” Fisto ordered. “I don’t want them to complete their attack on our headquarters and return to targeting the 327th before we can get the relay delivered.”

“The Confederates have air superiority, so we’ll have to move the relay by land,” Vos informed him. “It could take us another day or two to get it into position.”

“General Secura, do your troops have enough supplies to last that long?” Fisto asked.

“Probably, but I doubt we have enough to last much longer than that,” she responded. “If there’s any way you can send more supplies along with the new relay, that would be great.”

“That shouldn’t be an issue,” Fisto assured her. “Of course, it would be a lot easier if we could break their air superiority. Any ideas on that front?”

“Well, to break their air superiority, we’d have to take out their anti-aircraft guns,” Vos stated.

“Let me guess: those are inside the shield perimeter,” Fisto finished.

Vos nodded, exhaling in frustration.

“It all seems to come back to bringing down the shield, doesn’t it?” Fisto commented. “Alright, start preparing the relay and supplies for the 327th. We’ll look at ideas for bringing down the shield tomorrow morning.”


	8. Chapter 8

Ahsoka woke the next morning to the sound of the alarm she had set on her comlink. Deactivating the alarm, she dressed quickly and returned the comlink to its pouch on her utility belt. She then retrieved her lightsabers from the nightstand and clipped them to her belt. After ensuring that she had all of her possessions, she made her way to the bedroom where Obi-Wan and Anakin had slept the previous night and pounded on the door.

“You guys decent?” she called.

No response came from within.

“I’m coming in!” Ahsoka warned. With that, she opened the door to the bedroom. Neither Obi-Wan nor Anakin were inside, nor did any of their possessions appear to be.

“Perhaps they’ve already gone downstairs,” Ahsoka said to herself.

Ahsoka descended the stairs and made her way into the sitting room. Finding it to be empty, she crossed to the kitchen, which she found similarly unoccupied.

“Maybe they went up to the senator’s room to say their goodbyes before we leave,” Ahsoka suggested in an attempt to quell her growing suspicions.

She made her way back upstairs and stopped outside the door to the master bedroom.

“Is it safe to come in?” she called, rapping on the door.

When she received no response, Ahsoka assumed the worst and simply threw open the door to the master bedroom without a second warning. Once again, she found a lack of dust to be the only clue that the room had recently been used.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” she muttered to herself.

Not wanting to search the entire Lake Retreat on foot, she stretched out with the Force and found that she was indeed alone in the house. She darted down the stairs and through the connecting door to the attached speeder garage. The speeder from the _Sundered Heart_ was gone, so she started up one of the speeders already there and made her way out to the clearing where she had landed the _Sundered Heart_ two days previously. As she suspected, the _Sundered Heart_ was nowhere to be found.

“Kriff,” she swore.

Pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration, Ahsoka pulled out her comlink. Windu’s blue-tinted image appeared shortly thereafter.

“This is Windu.”

“We have a problem,” Ahsoka told him. “Somehow, they must’ve figured me out, because Skywalker, Kenobi, their wives, and their ship are all gone.”

“The ship’s gone too?” Windu asked. Seeing Ahsoka nod, he continued, “Well, at least that gives us a way to track them. I’ll have the ship flagged as stolen. They won’t be able to come anywhere near civilized space without drawing attention. You said it was the _Sundered Heart_?”

“That’s right,” Ahsoka confirmed. “It’s an Alderaanian diplomatic ship. A modified CR70 corvette.”

Windu sighed. “I can’t imagine the Republic Propaganda Office will be too pleased to find out that their poster younglings for the war effort are about to be branded as outlaws.”

“You can’t do that,” Ahsoka told him quickly. “Amidala has this entire planet under her spell. They would literally do anything to ensure her safety and happiness.”

“Define anything,” Windu retorted skeptically.

“If she told the entire population to commit mass suicide, they would do it, no questions asked,” Ahsoka replied. After a moment, she added, “Okay, maybe not the Gungans—”

“She would never actually tell them to do that, so the point is moot,” Windu interrupted.

“Even so, if you tell them what’s really going on, and her name gets tied back to it, the Naboo _will_ revolt, no ifs, ands, or buts about it,” Ahsoka declared.

“After they were invaded by the Trade Federation twelve years ago?” Windu asked skeptically. “They would just up and join the Confederacy because we badmouthed their senator?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “She was the one who drove the Trade Federation out. That’s the whole reason everyone loves her. Naboo joining the Confederacy would be the ultimate insult to everything Amidala’s done for them. No, they’d probably throw their lot in with Mandalore.”

“Which would give Death Watch a new support base in the form of angry Naboo wanting revenge on the Republic for trying to ruin their senator,” Windu said. “Could be the push the Council of Neutral Systems needs to drop the ‘neutral’ part and take up arms against the Republic.”

Ahsoka shook her head again. “Amidala’s friends with Duchess Satine. The Death Watch stands in direct opposition to her. They wouldn’t go that far, but it certainly could push the Council to close their spacelanes to Republic vessels.”

“And Organa’s been supporting Amidala this whole time, so if Naboo goes, Alderaan might go as well,” Windu mused. “Is there any chance of discrediting Amidala in the eyes of the Naboo?”

Ahsoka shook her head once again. “Ordinarily, we could try to play up the conflict-of-interest angle, what with a relationship between a Jedi and a senator, but Skywalker was the one who blew up the Droid Control Ship twelve years ago. The brave senator and the heroic Jedi who together saved the peaceful Naboo from the greedy Trade Federation fall in love a decade later but are forced to hide their marriage because the cruel Jedi Council forbids him from having romantic relationships? It’s a holosoap come to life. The people will eat that up.”

“The prohibition on attachments is in place to reduce the likelihood of a Jedi falling to the Dark Side,” Windu told her. “We are not being cruel.”

“Try telling the public that,” Ahsoka challenged.

“If the public believes the Jedi Code was put in place out of cruelty, they fail to understand the danger presented by a Jedi falling to the Dark Side,” Windu declared.

“The Council had this discussion when Skywalker, Kenobi, and I returned from Eidera,” Ahsoka reminded him.

“Hmm, point taken,” Windu relented. “What if we were to simply announce that Skywalker and Kenobi are being arrested for violating the Jedi Code without specifying precisely how they violated the Code?”

“You know how those HoloNet reporters are,” Ahsoka said. “They’re always trying to get the big scoop. If we just tell them that Skywalker and Kenobi are being arrested for violating the Jedi Code without any sort of explanation, they’ll want to know what Skywalker and Kenobi did that violates the Code, and Organa will be all too happy to tell them.”

“It would be career suicide for Organa if he did,” Windu pointed out. “He couldn’t reveal that he knows the real reason without revealing his role in the cover-up, and as soon as he does that, we can get him for aiding and abetting.”

“Oh, come on, Master Windu, you’ve never seen the HoloNet cite information from ‘a senior government official who declined to speak on-camera?’” Ahsoka asked. “Besides, the public doesn’t even know about the cover-up. Organa could just tell them what he knows without revealing how he knows it or even that there was ever a cover-up.”

“Then we’d tell the HoloNet about the cover-up,” Windu countered. “How would he explain the fact that Skywalker and Kenobi are using his ship? He can’t claim they lied to him about why they wanted it, because that wouldn’t explain how he knows the truth.”

“The HoloNet won’t care,” Ahsoka told him. “As soon as the real reason gets out, anything we do in response will just look like an attempt to save face. We need a way to force Organa to keep his mouth shut.”

“Hang on,” Windu said suddenly, holding up a hand to stop her. “We know the cover story’s false, Organa knows it’s false, but the public doesn’t know that, right?”

* * *

Windu stood at a podium that had been erected on the steps of the Jedi Temple, flanked by Tiin and Ahsoka. A sea of reporters stood behind a cordon several meters in front of the podium.

“Late last night, we received a distress signal from Padawan Tano,” Windu informed the gathering. “She reported that the conference had been overrun by battle droids. Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker, and all of the delegates from both sides had been captured and taken off Naboo in the Alderaanians’ ship. She herself only barely escaped capture.”

“Have Skywalker and Kenobi made any attempts to contact the Republic and inform them of their location?” one reporter asked.

Windu shook his head. “None that have succeeded. However, all Republic Navy ships not needed elsewhere have been reassigned to conduct search operations in an attempt to locate the hostages and the _Sundered Heart_.”

“Isn’t it a little early to be calling them hostages?” another reporter asked.

“What other term would you apply?” Windu countered. “Except for Kenobi and Skywalker, they’re noncombatants, so calling them prisoners of war isn’t accurate. I believe we have to classify this as a terrorist act.”

“Have the Separatists made any demands?” a third reporter asked.

“Not yet,” Windu replied. “Now, if you’ll allow me to finish my statement, Master Tiin and Padawan Tano will be leading the search effort. In addition, for her conspicuous bravery and strength of will in successfully resisting capture when her masters were unable to do so, Padawan Tano is to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight, effective immediately. Her formal knighting ceremony will occur once this crisis has passed.”

“Do you have any leads on where Skywalker and Kenobi might be?” a reporter asked.

Windu shook his head. “That’s all the information we have at this time. We’ll notify you when we know more.”

Seeing that the press conference was ending, Organa reached forward to turn off the holoscreen. “You get all that, Sheltay?”

Retrac nodded. “What’s our next move, Senator?”

“Have Queen Neeyutnee request that Senator Amidala return to Naboo to help deal with the fallout from this attack,” Organa instructed. “I know the senator’s handmaidens are trained to impersonate her if necessary, but I don’t want Dormé being ambushed by reporters and put in a situation where she could accidentally slip up and give the game away.”

“I’ll also contact Dormé and advise her to start packing her things so that she’s ready to hop on her ship and leave when she gets the message from Neeyutnee,” Retrac told him.

“Good idea,” Organa agreed. “Tell her that if any reporters get to her on her way to the ship, she should decline to comment. If that doesn’t chase them off, have her tell them that she doesn’t know anything more than they do.”

“Alright,” Retrac said. “The Separatists will, of course, deny everything. When that happens, reporters will almost certainly come to you for comment. How will you respond?”

“I’ll point out that the conference was attacked by battle droids, not organics,” Organa replied. “The Confederacy is the only entity of note that uses battle droids.”

“Here’s the problem I see,” Retrac stated. “Generals Skywalker and Kenobi are the face of the Republic’s war effort. The Propaganda Office has been relentlessly publicizing their exploits ever since the start of the war.”

“The people of the Republic can’t get enough,” Organa agreed. “Women want to be with them, men want to be them. What’s your point?”

“If Skywalker and Kenobi were to be captured by the Separatists, it would be a huge blow to Republic morale,” Retrac explained. “The Separatists know that. If they really had captured Skywalker and Kenobi, why would they deny it?”

“Because they also know that the Republic would stop at nothing to get Skywalker and Kenobi back,” Organa responded. “If they were to admit to having captured Skywalker and Kenobi, the entire Republic fleet would be on their doorstep looking for blood.”

“Not if the Separatists used them as bargaining chips,” Retrac pointed out. “They did it with Skywalker earlier in the war to force a prisoner exchange.”

“I doubt we’d go for it again,” Organa replied. “Besides, we haven’t captured anyone of theirs who’s important enough that they would be willing to release Skywalker and Kenobi to get them back.”

“It wouldn’t necessarily have to be a prisoner exchange,” Retrac argued. “They could have some other demands they want us to meet in exchange for them releasing Skywalker and Kenobi.”

“I doubt those demands would be anything the Republic would be willing to meet,” Organa said.

“Even so, it’s not like denying it would actually convince anyone,” Retrac noted. “If they really had captured Skywalker and Kenobi, it wouldn’t make sense for them not to at least try to leverage the situation to their advantage.”

“I’m still not quite sure I see what the problem is,” Organa admitted.

“The problem is that, if I were just an ordinary citizen hearing about this, and I heard the Separatists deny that they had Skywalker and Kenobi, I would believe them simply because the Separatists have nothing to gain from lying about it,” Retrac explained.

“Okay, I’ll admit that they would have nothing to gain from lying about not having Skywalker and Kenobi,” Organa conceded. “They would, however, have something to gain from lying about not having the delegates to the conference. Windu’s right: the delegates, if they existed, would be noncombatants, and the Separatists’ capture of them likely would be considered an act of terrorism by the Senate. The Confederacy wants to be viewed as a legitimate government. Admitting to a terrorist act would undermine that perception.”

“Then what was their attack on the Coruscanti power grid if not an act of terrorism?” Retrac challenged.

“They never actually admitted responsibility for that,” Organa reminded her.

“They never denied it, either,” Retrac countered.

“If they deny it, it makes them look even more guilty, and it makes them look like cowards for not being willing to admit to it,” Organa explained. “If they admit to it, they make themselves look like terrorists, which undermines the air of legitimacy they want to project. If they make no official statement and simply let people draw their own conclusions, they avoid painting themselves as terrorists and they avoid looking like they’re unwilling to take responsibility for their actions.”

“So you think they’ll take the same approach to Windu’s accusations that they attacked the conference and kidnapped the delegates?” Retrac asked.

Organa shook his head. “It wouldn’t work. The droids that carried out the attack on the power grid self-destructed and left no evidence behind that could definitively tie them to the Separatists.”

“Twenty-odd diplomats and two Jedi don’t just disappear,” Retrac finished, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Right,” Organa confirmed. “If the Separatists did actually have them, someone would eventually find evidence that the delegates were prisoners of the Confederacy, and then they’d have no choice but to admit it. Since they don’t, they’re free to deny it all they want because they know that evidence will eventually come to light that proves they’re telling the truth.”

“How do we make sure that when that evidence eventually comes to light, it doesn’t reveal the deception?” Retrac asked.

“If Dooku contracted the job out to a bounty hunter, he might have loaned the bounty hunter a few commando droids to assist in capturing the delegates so that the bounty hunter can deal with the Jedi,” Organa reasoned. “Suppose that, after completing the job, the bounty hunter gets greedy and decides not to turn his captives over to Dooku unless Dooku is willing to pay an additional price.”

“The Separatists wouldn’t want it getting out that they’re in league with bounty hunters, and they can safely deny responsibility because anyone who cares to investigate will find that the Separatists don’t have the delegates,” Retrac said.

“Which also explains why they stole the _Sundered Heart_ instead of hauling the delegates off in one of their own ships,” Organa added. “The bounty hunter traveled there on their own ship, which wasn’t big enough to hold all the delegates.”

“So is that what you’re going to tell the reporters if they want your reaction to the Separatists denying that they have Skywalker and Kenobi?” Retrac asked.

“Well, that’s going to depend in part on how the question is phrased,” Organa replied. “If there’s a way I can avoid addressing whether or not I believe them, I will.”

“Fair enough,” Retrac conceded. “And if they don’t give you an out?”

“I’ll try to be as noncommittal as possible, but that’s the story I’ll go with if they won’t take no for an answer,” Organa told her.

“Shall I tell Neeyutnee to use the same story if she gets accosted by reporters?” Retrac asked.

Organa shook his head. “If she gets ambushed by reporters, have her tell them that she doesn’t have enough information to comment. We’ll have the Palace release a prepared statement in a day or two.”

“Is it going to look suspicious if we don’t send an emissary to Naboo in an attempt to smooth things over with their government?” Retrac asked.

“It would have to be someone we trust absolutely to keep the secret,” Organa replied, “which means you, me, or Breha. I’d rather Breha stay on Alderaan in case we have to try and sneak the _Sundered Heart_ back to Alderaan, and I have Senatorial duties that require me to stay on Coruscant.”

“Could we send someone who’s in the dark about the real situation?” Retrac suggested. “Bail Antilles, perhaps?”

“If we did that, we’d have to make absolutely sure Neeyutnee knows that the person we’re sending is in the dark,” Organa responded.

The intercom on Organa’s desk crackled. _“The supreme chancellor to see you, Senator.”_

Organa paused for a moment before keying the intercom and replying, “Send him in.”

The door to Organa’s office opened and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine stepped inside. “Senator Organa,” he began once the door had closed behind him, “I wanted to express my deepest sympathies and condolences for the capture of your diplomats at the recent conference on my home planet.”

A moment’s silence before Organa replied pensively, “Thank you, Excellency.”

“Something on your mind, Senator?” Palpatine asked.

“It just…doesn’t make sense,” Organa told him.

Palpatine’s brow furrowed. “What doesn’t make sense?”

“This attack on the conference,” Organa explained, standing from his chair and pacing distractedly. “Master Kenobi contacted me yesterday to inform me of what he believed was a Separatist plot to disrupt the conference by poisoning several of the delegates. Had they continued on that course of action, they could have potentially derailed the conference completely and gotten our peoples to blame each other without anyone suspecting Separatist involvement. Instead, they turn around and attack the conference with battle droids, which not only brings suspicion down on the Separatists, it also leaves behind proof of their involvement.”

“Perhaps the attack is instead the work of someone wanting to frame the Separatists,” Palpatine proposed.

“Who else would want to disrupt the conference?” Organa asked dismissively.

“A crime syndicate looking for a cut of Naboo’s plasma exports?” Palpatine suggested.

“The plasma trade wasn’t even one of the topics of discussion at this conference,” Organa told him.

“The attackers may not have known that,” Palpatine noted.

“It’s reaching,” Organa replied. “No, I think the Separatists are still by far the most likely culprit, but I can’t understand why they would change plans so radically, especially when their original plan seemed to be working quite well.”

“The Separatists aren’t exactly known for being masters of coordination,” Palpatine pointed out. “Perhaps one admiral came into the intelligence and decided to attack the conference without knowing that another admiral was already working to sabotage the conference from the inside.”

“And neither admiral bothered to clear their plans with the Separatist leadership before proceeding?” Organa asked skeptically. “It sounds a little far-fetched.”

“But you admit it is possible?” Palpatine pressed.

Organa sighed, pressing a hand to his temple. “I shall have to go to Naboo and get to the bottom of this myself.”

“But what about your Senatorial duties?” Retrac reminded him.

Organa waved a hand dismissively. “It’s just committee meetings. I can attend those via hologram. Contact Captain Antilles and have him ready the _Tantive IV_ for departure in one hour.”

“Senator, I wish you the best of luck in uncovering the truth of this matter,” Palpatine said before turning to leave.

When the door had closed behind him, Retrac shot a confused glance at her employer and asked, “Why the sudden change of plans?”

“Testing a theory,” Organa replied cryptically. “You keep a bag packed, Sheltay?”

“Yes, Senator,” Retrac confirmed.

“Good,” Organa said. “Make sure Neeyutnee knows we’re coming, then grab your bag and let’s head for the spaceport.”

* * *

Tiin and Ahsoka stood before a holographic map of the galaxy in the Jedi Archives.

“Alright,” Tiin said. “If you were Skywalker, Kenobi, Amidala, and her serving-girl, where would you go to hide from the Jedi?”

“It would have to be somewhere with a marketplace,” Ahsoka told him. “They only have a week’s worth of food with them, and I can’t imagine they’d be naïve enough to think we’ll call off the search after that short a time period.”

“Kenobi did a brief stint in the AgriCorps,” Tiin mused. “Could they find an uninhabited world and try to grow food for themselves?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “They don’t have anything with them that they can get seeds from, unless the _Sundered Heart_ has a stockpile I’m not aware of.”

“How likely is that?” Tiin asked.

“Not very,” Ahsoka responded.

Tiin thought for a moment. “Skywalker still has family on Tatooine.”

“No, that’s too obvious,” Ahsoka replied.

“Maybe that’s exactly the reaction they want,” Tiin countered. “Maybe they would choose Tatooine precisely _because_ it’s so obvious, thinking we would dismiss the possibility out of hand as being too predictable.”

“I still don’t think it’s likely,” Ahsoka told him. “Tatooine is Hutt Space, which means more bounty hunters than you can shake a stick at. Last I checked, the going rate for Jedi is a million credits a pop, dead or alive, but more importantly, Amidala also has a price on her head. Skywalker is fiercely protective of, bordering on obsessed with, Amidala. He wouldn’t be willing to risk the possibility of a bounty hunter recognizing her and trying to collect.”

“Tatooine is full of people who are more than willing to make a no-questions-asked cash transaction,” Tiin pointed out. “You have to admit it would be the perfect place for them to dump the _Sundered Heart_ in exchange for something a little less conspicuous.”

“Skywalker would still see it as too much of a risk to Amidala’s safety,” Ahsoka declared. “Besides, most dealers who are willing to make no-questions-asked cash transactions aren’t exactly the most reputable sort. He has no guarantee that any ship he might get in exchange for the _Sundered Heart_ would be in working condition. No, I think they’ll stick with the _Sundered Heart_. Skywalker has the technical expertise to change the transponder code.”

“The _Sundered Heart_ isn’t a stock CR70,” Tiin reminded her. “Even if he can change the transponder code, we’ll still be able to identify it by its modifications.”

“Only if the people identifying it know what modifications to look for,” Ahsoka responded. “GAR search crews will, but civilian spacers probably won’t.”

“I still think we should at least check on Tatooine,” Tiin stated.

Ahsoka nodded quickly. “We wouldn’t be doing our due diligence if we didn’t. I’m just saying that I think the majority of our resources should be focused elsewhere.”

“So,” Tiin wondered, “where else could they have gone, given that they had an eight-hour head start before we flagged the _Sundered Heart_ as stolen?”

“I think we can rule out anything else in Hutt Space for the same reasons as Tatooine,” Ahsoka told him.

“I still think they’re too desperate for bounty hunters to be a major consideration in their decision,” Tiin replied.

“Since Organa’s in on the plot, they might have gone to Alderaan for sanctuary,” Ahsoka suggested.

Tiin shook his head. “They wouldn’t have had enough time to get there before the alert went out.”

“If Organa told them what was going on, Alderaan Space Control might have been willing to look the other way,” Ahsoka pointed out.

“It’s too close to the Core,” Tiin replied.

“Which is exactly what’s so genius about it,” Ahsoka explained. “The cover story is that we’re searching for them because they’ve been captured by the Separatists. The Separatists wouldn’t take their captives right into the heart of Republic space, which means that we can’t conduct search operations in the Core without blowing our cover.”

“The cover story hadn’t been thought up yet at the time they made their escape from Naboo,” Tiin reminded her. “Even with Skywalker’s penchant for Force visions, there’s no way he could have foreseen our response accurately enough to be able to act on it.”

“We only had a limited number of possible responses,” Ahsoka said. “It could have just been a lucky guess as to which one we’d pick.”

“Still, I think Alderaan is too heavily populated to be viable as a hideout,” Tiin declared. “All it takes is one pair of loose lips to bring the whole deception crashing down on them.”

“Oh, I totally agree with you that it’s unlikely,” Ahsoka said. “I’m just saying it might be worth our while to surreptitiously put out some feelers on the off-chance they’re feeling particularly bold.”

“What about some of Amidala and Organa’s political allies?” Tiin proposed. “Would a Loyalist senator from a Rim world be willing to offer them sanctuary?”

“The Senate isn’t that simple, Master Tiin,” Ahsoka told him. “Not all Loyalists are allies of Amidala and Organa. Orn Free Taa is a Loyalist, and he’s one of the leaders of the Militarists.”

“You get the point I was trying to make,” Tiin shot back defensively. “Who are Amidala and Organa’s allies in the Senate?”

“Well, their closest ally is Mon Mothma, but she’s from Chandrila, which is too far Coreward to be of any help to them,” Ahsoka replied.

Tiin’s brow furrowed in concentration. “Chandrila. Where have I heard that name before in connection with this incident?”

“Amidala contracted Chandrilan influenza prior to her departure from Coruscant,” Ahsoka supplied.

“Which means Mothma or one of her aides is likely our Patient Zero,” Tiin reasoned, “and if Amidala was exposed, Organa likely has been as well. Have the medical authorities place them in quarantine.”

“We can’t reveal that we know Amidala has Chandrilan influenza without revealing that we know the real reason they went to Naboo,” Ahsoka pointed out.

“Organa already knows we know, and he’s probably in communication with Skywalker and Kenobi,” Tiin countered. “Placing him in quarantine cuts him off from them and forces Skywalker and Kenobi to work without a safety net.”

“If they haven’t already hunkered down to wait out the search effort,” Ahsoka responded. “Besides, in healthy adult patients, Chandrilan influenza is asymptomatic and lasts only one to two days. Most people never even know they have it. The only reason it gave Amidala any trouble was because of how badly compromised her immune system is.”

“Still, it gives us another potential means of tracking them,” Tiin said. “Put out an alert to all medcenters: have them report any cases of Chandrilan influenza in adult human females.”

“And justify it how?” Ahsoka challenged. “Amidala wasn’t supposedly a part of the Naboo delegation to the conference.”

“The Alderaanian delegation supposedly met with Organa on Coruscant before their departure for Naboo,” Tiin replied. “If anyone asks, we can claim one of them picked it up from him. I doubt anyone will, though.”

“Fair enough,” Ahsoka conceded. “If Organa’s medical droid knew what it was doing, however, it should have given her medication before she left Coruscant.”

“Did it?” Tiin asked.

Ahsoka shrugged. “I never saw her taking anything while we were there, but I wasn’t keeping up constant surveillance of her. She could have taken her meds while I wasn’t around, and unfortunately, we can’t exactly ask the droid without raising suspicion.”

“Okay, so we know they have to go somewhere they can get food, and they might also have to go somewhere with access to medical facilities,” Tiin summarized. “Let’s go back to looking at their political allies.”

“I believe Senator Taneel is an ally of theirs,” Ahsoka suggested.

Tiin frowned. “Not a name I’m familiar with. What sector does he represent?”

“_She_ represents the Senex sector,” Ahsoka told him, pointing to its location on the holographic map before them. “It’s in the Mid Rim. I believe her homeworld is Neelanon.”

Tiin shook his head. “That whole Senex-Juvex region is strongly isolationist. Even with Taneel’s help, they’d never find enough people on Neelanon who’d be willing to hide them from the Republic. What about Dac? It’s in the Outer Rim, and Senator Tills is a strong supporter of Amidala and Organa, as I recall.”

“Ex-Senator Tikkes is a member of the Separatist Council,” Ahsoka reminded him, “and although Senator Dowmeia is also a supporter of Amidala and Organa, several of the Quarren leadership have accused him of being a pawn for the Mon Calamari. They’d be safe with the Mon Calamari as long as it was kept under wraps, but if the Quarren found out about it, it could spark another conflict.”

“What does sheltering Skywalker and Kenobi have to do with the reasons for the conflict between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren?” Tiin asked.

“It doesn’t,” Ahsoka told him bluntly. “Most Quarren wouldn’t really care if Skywalker and Kenobi hid on Dac, but the hardliners will see it as just another example of the Mon Calamari keeping secrets from the Quarren. It would give them an excuse to reopen hostilities.”

“Alright, let’s look elsewhere,” Tiin decided. “Fang Zar is a known associate of theirs, but Sern Prime is probably too far Coreward to be a viable hideout, although it is close enough to Naboo that they could have made it there before the alert went out.”

“It’s still too much of a risk to hide them in the Colonies, plus the fact that Senator Zar doesn’t enjoy nearly the same level of support on Sern Prime that Organa does on Alderaan,” Ahsoka added.

“I believe Senator Eekway is a supporter of Amidala and Organa,” Tiin mused. “Pantora’s in the Outer Rim. Could they be hiding there?”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “_That’s_ a possibility. Despite Senator Eekway being a Pantoran, she’s actually the senator for Wroona, but the senator for Pantora is Riyo Chuchi, who’s also an ally of Amidala’s. Eekway’s father is the chairman of Pantora, and although his true loyalties are unclear, the one thing we are sure of is that they do not lie with the chancellor, which would place him in Organa’s corner in that regard.”

“But would that also extend to Organa’s pro-Jedi leanings?” Tiin challenged. “Remember that, although Organa’s allies in opposing Palpatine may be more likely to share his views in other areas of galactic politics, it isn’t a guarantee that they will, and who’s willing to aid Skywalker and Kenobi in escaping justice is going to be more an issue of their opinions on the Jedi than their opinions on Palpatine.”

“Well, if you’re going to look at it in those terms, we may want to look for anti-Jedi Senators,” Ahsoka replied. “Since Skywalker and Kenobi stand in opposition to the ideology of the mainstream Order, senators who support the Council’s policies would be more likely to oppose Skywalker and Kenobi.”

“Some senators just want to see the Jedi’s role in the running of the Republic reduced or eliminated,” Tiin pointed out. “Since Skywalker and Kenobi are viewed positively by the general public despite the otherwise-low public opinion of the Jedi, those senators probably want to see Skywalker and Kenobi disappear so as to remove any lingering objections the public may have to marginalizing the Jedi.”

“So we’re looking for senators who would be allies of the progressives,” Ahsoka stated.

“Well, when you put it like that…” Tiin muttered.

“Yeah,” Ahsoka said. “I doubt there are many senators other than Amidala and Organa themselves who are aware of the factionalization of the Order.”

“Most senators don’t have much more than a passing knowledge of the Order’s inner workings,” Tiin agreed. “From some of their interactions with us, I got the impression that the Senate seems to think all decisions of the Council are unanimous. Where they would get that notion is beyond me, but apparently they have.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if Organa might have explained some of it to Mothma, but we’ve already more-or-less ruled out Chandrila as being too far in the interior to provide sanctuary,” Ahsoka told him.

“Amidala’s friends with Duchess Kryze,” Tiin mused. “Could they seek shelter on Mandalore?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “They may be friends, but Satine wouldn’t risk compromising her planet’s neutrality by harboring Republic fugitives. Besides, I’ve heard rumors—unsubstantiated rumors, but rumors nonetheless—that Satine and Kenobi were romantically linked when he and Master Jinn were assigned to her protection detail all those years ago.”

“You think the duchess’ decision if they were to seek aid from her might be colored by jealousy that Kenobi left her for a serving-girl?” Tiin asked skeptically.

“Do I think it’s likely? No,” Ahsoka replied. “Is it possible? Just about anything’s possible. Are the rumors even true? That I can’t answer.”

“Alright, so we think Pantora might be a good possibility,” Tiin declared. “Where else?”

Ahsoka thought for a moment. “Do you think they would be so bold as to hide out in Separatist space?”

Tiin’s brow furrowed in concentration. “They may be renegades against the Jedi, but they’re still staunch supporters of the Republic, so it’s unlikely. However, I suppose that if they somehow got wind of Master Allie’s mission to assassinate Dooku, they may have gone to Serenno to aid her in that mission.”

“If they did that,” Ahsoka said, “they would probably leave Amidala and her handmaiden on the _Sundered Heart_ while Skywalker and Kenobi traveled to Serenno in the shuttle.”

Tiin’s head snapped around to face her. “The _Sundered Heart_ had a shuttle aboard?” Seeing her nod, he continued, “That opens up another possibility. They could have abandoned the _Sundered Heart_ in deep space and continued on to their destination in the shuttle.”

“They wouldn’t be able to take all of their supplies with them if they did that,” Ahsoka pointed out.

“Depending on their destination, they may not have needed all of their supplies,” Tiin replied.

A sudden thought struck Ahsoka. “What if they’re planning to cruise around the Rim and then circle back to Naboo once the Jedi leave?”

Tiin eyed her quizzically and opened his mouth to dismiss the possibility, but then faltered. “The more I think about it, that’s actually outrageous enough to be plausible.”

“‘Outrageous enough to be plausible’ is Skywalker’s stock-in-trade,” Ahsoka said. “I should know; I was his Padawan for two years.”

“Alright, I’ll establish a headquarters on Naboo and have my squadron fan out from there,” Tiin informed her. “You do the same on Pantora.”

“Can we spare a Jedi to send to Alderaan?” Ahsoka asked.

“You said yourself that it would blow our cover since the Separatists would never take their hostages into the Core,” Tiin reminded her.

“If they actually had hostages, we would expect them to make contact at some point and offer to release the hostages in exchange for certain concessions from the Republic,” Ahsoka explained. “We send a single Jedi to Alderaan to monitor communications in and out of the Palace on the pretext of awaiting a ransom demand.”

Tiin nodded in understanding. “If Organa tries to pull in Alderaanian assets to assist Skywalker and Kenobi in evading capture, we’ll know about it.”

“Not only that, but it also gives us the chance to surreptitiously do some poking around to confirm that Skywalker and Kenobi aren’t hiding out on Alderaan,” Ahsoka added.

“As Skywalker’s successor in command of the 501st, I presume you’ll be taking the _Resolute_ as your flagship?” Tiin asked. Seeing her nod in confirmation, he declared, “Alright. Let’s move out.”


	9. Chapter 9

_“_Tantive IV_, this is Theed Spaceport Control. You’re cleared for atmospheric descent and landing. Proceed to Docking Bay 26. Over.”_

“Theed Spaceport Control, this is _Tantive IV_,” Antilles replied. “Acknowledge clearance to land at Docking Bay 26. Out.”

Next to him, Antilles’ copilot, Jeremoch Colton, began reading through the pre-landing checklist. “Ion engines to full stop. Activate repulsorlift drive.”

“Ion engines…full stop,” Antilles repeated, pulling back on the throttle lever as he did so. “Repulsorlift drive…online.”

An alert from the sensor panel interrupted them before they could proceed to the next item on the checklist. Colton swiveled in his chair to examine the readout. “Twenty-four vessels emerging from hyperspace. Republic Navy, various classes.”

Antilles frowned and keyed the intercom. “Viceroy Organa to the bridge.”

The sensor panel beeped again. “The lead vessel in the formation just launched a starfighter,” Colton reported.

“Only one?” Antilles asked.

“Yes, sir,” Colton confirmed. “Sensors identify the model as a Cutlass-9. I wasn’t aware the Republic Navy used those.”

The hatch at the rear of the bridge opened and Organa stepped through with Retrac in tow. “Something wrong, Raymus?”

As if in response, the subspace transceiver crackled to life. _“Theed Spaceport Control, this is the _Sharp Spiral_. Request permission for atmospheric descent and landing. Over.”_

Organa and Retrac exchanged glances. “_Sharp Spiral_ is Master Tiin’s personal starfighter,” Organa said.

_“_Sharp Spiral_, this is Theed Spaceport Control. Stand by.”_

“I presume he didn’t come alone?” Retrac said dryly.

“That would be too easy,” Colton replied with equal sarcasm. “He’s brought with him four _Venator_s, a dozen _Acclamator_s, and eight assorted frigates and light cruisers. Whatever he’s doing out here, he means business.”

“There can’t exactly be much doubt about what he’s doing out here, Jeremoch,” Organa commented.

“One minute to touchdown,” Antilles informed the group.

_“_Sharp Spiral_, this is Theed Spaceport Control. You’re cleared for atmospheric descent and landing. Proceed to Docking Bay 31. Over.”_

_“Theed Spaceport Control, this is the_ Sharp Spiral_. Acknowledge clearance to land at Docking Bay 31. Out.”_

Colton swiveled to face Antilles. “The docking bays at Theed Spaceport are designed to handle ships, not starfighters. Should we contact Spaceport Control and let them know that the _Sharp Spiral_ is a starfighter?”

“They should be able to tell that from looking at the transponder code,” Antilles replied. “Unless their scope is malfunctioning—”

“They’re stalling for time,” Organa realized. “Neeyutnee wants to get me and Sheltay into the palace before Tiin, so she’s having Spaceport Control give him the runaround.”

“Once he lands, gets out of his starfighter, and realizes the spaceport can’t service it, he’ll have to get back in his starfighter, get takeoff clearance from Spaceport Control, take off, transfer to Theed Hangar Control, get landing clearance from Hangar Control, and then land at Theed Hanger,” Retrac said. “Ingenious.”

The _Tantive IV_ touched down in Docking Bay 26 with a soft thud. “Landing complete,” Antilles announced. “Beginning main engine shutdown sequence.”

Colton pulled a lever on one of the control panels and waited a few seconds. “Boarding ramp is down, Viceroy. You may disembark at your leisure.”

Organa turned to Retrac. “You have all your things?”

Retrac held up her duffel bag and nodded in response.

“Good,” Organa replied, turning for the exit and motioning for her to follow. Once the cockpit door closed behind them, he leaned down and muttered in her ear, “I’m hoping you won’t need it, but do you have your, ah…” He cleared his throat.

Retrac patted her thigh just above the hem of her dress. “Never leave home without it,” she responded, grinning.

“That’s my girl,” Organa said, chuckling.

“I trust you have yours?” she asked.

Organa nodded, leaning over and allowing his Senatorial robes to fall open slightly and reveal a blaster pistol concealed in a shoulder holster.

“The Naboo won’t have a problem with this?” Retrac asked.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Organa told her, straightening to his full height and checking to ensure that his robes once again covered the weapon.

As Organa suspected would be the case, a Royal Naboo Security Forces landspeeder was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp.

“Senator Organa?” the driver asked.

Organa nodded. “That’s right.”

“My instructions are to take you and your aide directly to the Palace,” the driver told him. “Our people will ensure that your ship is marked high priority for service and refueling so that you can be ready to leave at a moment’s notice should the need arise.”

“Thank you,” Organa replied.

Once he and Retrac had seated themselves in the back of the speeder, the driver nudged the throttle forward and eased the speeder out of the spaceport and into the streets of Theed.

The journey to the Palace lasted about five minutes. Upon arriving in the Palace speeder garage, they were met by another member of the Security Forces.

“Corporal, take their bags to the Ambassadorial Suite,” he ordered the driver.

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir,” the driver replied.

The newcomer turned to Organa. “I’m Captain Jannick. Queen’s chief of security. Follow me.”

Jannick led Organa and Retrac through the Palace to the throne room, where they found Neeyutnee meeting with the Royal Advisory Council.

“Senator Organa has arrived, Your Highness,” Jannick announced.

Neeyutnee nodded. “Thank you for coming, Senator. I am given to understand that there has been no sign of the _Sundered Heart_ or the delegates since their capture two nights ago.”

“That is my understanding as well,” Organa confirmed.

“We were hoping that you would be willing to check the conference site for any sort of…secret signal that would be significant to an Alderaanian but meaningless to anyone else,” Neeyutnee requested.

“Anything that could be a possible clue to their whereabouts,” Organa said.

Neeyutnee nodded.

“I want to find my people just as much as I’m sure you want to find yours,” Organa replied.

“And I mine,” Tiin called from the doorway. Startled by Tiin’s sudden entry, Jannick spun and raised his blaster pistol. When he saw the Jedi robes and lightsaber the intruder wore, he lowered his blaster and returned it to its belt clip.

“My apologies, Master Jedi,” Jannick said.

Tiin waved him off. “The rescue of Generals Skywalker and Kenobi is at the top of the Order’s priority list, Your Highness. With your permission, I would like to establish a base of operations on Naboo from which to coordinate our search efforts.”

Neeyutnee nodded. “You may establish your base of operations in RNSF HQ. I will have my personnel temporarily relocate to an alternate facility.”

“I would also like to monitor the Palace’s communications in case the Separatists contact you with a ransom demand,” Tiin told her.

“Master Jedi, I’m not sure you realize the sheer volume of sensitive communications that come in and out of the Palace on a daily basis,” Neeyutnee replied. “For me to allow you access to all of those communications—”

“If the Separatists do make contact, my people need to be able to trace their signal back to its point of origin,” Tiin interrupted. “Tapping into the Palace’s communications system is the only way we can do that.”

“You’re sure there is no other way?” Neeyutnee asked slowly.

“Absolutely certain.”

Neeyutnee sighed in frustration. “Very well.”

“We’ll be landing four shuttles’ worth of personnel and equipment for the search headquarters, and then the rest of the fleet will disperse to begin the search operation itself,” Tiin informed her.

Neeyutnee turned to Jannick. “How long will it take our staff to transfer operations to the standby facility?”

“It’s not quite that simple, Your Highness,” Jannick replied. “Either the primary headquarters or the standby facility has to be fully manned and operational for the duration of the transfer process. The personnel at the primary headquarters have to remain there to continue overseeing operations while additional personnel set up the standby facility and bring its systems online. Once that’s completed and the proper command authorization is received to transfer operations to the standby facility, the personnel at the primary headquarters have to shut down their systems and secure their equipment before GAR personnel can start setting up their operations.”

“If it’s more convenient for the RNSF, we can establish our base of operations at your standby facility,” Tiin suggested.

Neeyutnee waved him off. “How long will it be before Master Tiin’s people can take possession of RNSF HQ?”

“Well, we’d have to bring in off-duty personnel to assist with the transfer—” Jannick began.

“How long, Captain Jannick?” Neeyutnee repeated, her patience beginning to wear thin.

“Ninety minutes tops, Your Highness,” Jannick told her.

“If it’s too much of an inconvenience to displace the RNSF from its headquarters, the GAR can use the standby facility,” Tiin offered.

“It’s no inconvenience at all, Master Jedi,” Neeyutnee responded. “I’m sure Major Panaka will appreciate the opportunity for his people to practice the transfer procedure.”

* * *

“With all due respect, Your Highness, do you _remember_ what happened twelve years ago?” Panaka asked. “Had you even been _born_ yet twelve years ago?”

Neeyutnee eyed the hologram of the RNSF chief of operations reproachfully. “I did not become queen by failing my history classes, Major Panaka. As you’ll recall, a number of our diplomats were captured by Separatist forces two nights ago. The GAR task force currently in orbit is here to establish a headquarters from which to coordinate their search operations. Once that base of operations is up and running, the warships in orbit will disperse to begin the task of locating and rescuing our people.”

“They intend to conduct this search using only two dozen ships?” Panaka countered skeptically.

“The rest of the fleet has already begun searching,” Neeyutnee replied in an attempt to pacify him, not knowing whether her statement was actually true.

“They need two dozen ships to transport the equipment for their headquarters?” Panaka shot back.

“I’ve informed Master Tiin that we will have RNSF HQ secured and ready for them to set up their operations in ninety minutes,” Neeyutnee told him, ignoring his question. “Do not make a liar out of me, Major Panaka.”

“Your Highness—” Panaka protested.

“You have your orders, Major,” Neeyutnee cut him off, signaling for the communications technician to close the channel.

Panaka rubbed his temple in frustration. “Damn Jedi think they can just show up and start ordering everyone around.”

“I, uh,” Panaka’s second-in-command stammered, “I hate to break it to you, sir, but…they can.”

“I’m well aware of that, Lieutenant,” Panaka shot back. “I had to put up with their antics during the invasion.”

“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant replied.

“They can make us do it, but they can’t make us like it,” Panaka declared. “Have Gamma Shift report to the standby facility and start bringing systems online. Tell them they can feel free to take their time.”

“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant said.

“I’ll be in my office,” Panaka told him. “Ensure I’m not disturbed unless it’s an emergency.”

Without waiting for a reply, Panaka turned and made his way out of the situation room. The walk to his office was short, and Panaka locked the door behind him when he arrived. Crossing to the computer terminal on his desk, Panaka activated it and began pulling personnel assignment records. When he found what he was looking for, he opened his bottom desk drawer, removed a private comlink, and dialed.

The blue-tinted visage of Chancellor Palpatine appeared shortly thereafter. “Major Panaka! What a pleasant surprise! How are things on Naboo?”

Panaka sighed. “I was sort of hoping you might be able to help me figure that out, Excellency.”

Palpatine’s expression shifted to one of knowing concern. “This is about the announcement Master Windu made yesterday, isn’t it?”

Panaka nodded. “As chief of operations, I should have been notified of the conference in advance and asked to put together a security detail to supplement the Jedi assigned to the conference. I was not. I just checked the personnel records. If there really was a conference being held, no RNSF personnel were assigned to protection detail.”

Palpatine harrumphed. “That would seem to corroborate the intelligence reports from our spies in the Separatist ranks. As far as Intelligence can discern, there has been no Separatist activity in the Chommell sector since the Festival of Light.”

“Then why is Master Windu wasting Republic resources searching for nonexistent captured diplomats?” Panaka wondered aloud.

“The better question, Major, is why they’re going to all this trouble to frame the Separatists for an attack on a nonexistent diplomatic conference,” Palpatine responded.

“Whatever the reason, Queen Neeyutnee seems to be in on the plot,” Panaka told him. “She ordered us to vacate RNSF HQ so that the GAR could establish a base of operations there from which to coordinate its search efforts for the captured diplomats.”

“Or perhaps she doesn’t know and has offered them the use of your facilities so that she can have you monitor their operations in order to determine what’s really going on,” Palpatine suggested.

Panaka shook his head. “If she knew Windu’s claim was false, but wasn’t in on whatever plot he’s pulling, why would she not simply call him on it? For that matter, why would Windu attempt an operation like this without telling Neeyutnee so that she doesn’t give the game away by announcing that there was no conference?”

“He wouldn’t,” Palpatine replied. “Windu’s not stupid. He would never move forward with a lie like that unless he knew that the Alderaanians and the Naboo would play along.”

“It was an Alderaanian ship on which the captured diplomats were allegedly transported off Naboo,” Panaka agreed.

“I’m not sure we should be focusing so much on the diplomats,” Palpatine said suddenly. “Windu’s press release also claimed that Generals Kenobi and Skywalker had been captured along with the nonexistent diplomats.”

“Kenobi and Skywalker,” Panaka repeated. “The two Jedi the public actually like. You think this is some sort of publicity stunt to drum up support for the rest of the Jedi? They claim Kenobi and Skywalker have been captured so that they can set themselves up to look like heroes by ‘rescuing’ them?”

“It seems too complicated for that,” Palpatine replied. “Why would they bother with the ‘diplomatic conference’ line when they could just claim Kenobi and Skywalker had been captured in battle?”

“Maybe they decided to take the opportunity to vilify the Separatists at the same time by claiming that the Separatists attacked noncombatants,” Panaka suggested.

“It still seems like a stretch,” Palpatine said. “I doubt the Alderaanians and the Naboo would agree to something like this, even though the leadership of both planets is pro-Jedi.”

“It would have the potential to backfire on them rather spectacularly should the truth become public knowledge,” Panaka conceded.

“Indeed,” Palpatine agreed. “So, what could possibly be so important a goal that they would be willing to risk the backlash that would result should the truth come to light?”

“I can attempt to find out for you if you’d like, Excellency,” Panaka offered.

Palpatine nodded. “I sense that somehow, Bail Organa is the key to all this. When I spoke to him yesterday, I got the distinct feeling that he knew much more about the situation than he was letting on, and he informed me that he was traveling to Naboo, probably to consult with Neeyutnee on the best way to proceed.”

Panaka tapped a few commands into his workstation. “I can confirm that. Theed Spaceport cleared his ship for landing half an hour ago. They marked it top priority for service and refueling, which would seem to imply he’ll be leaving again shortly, although his pilot hasn’t filed a flight plan.”

“See if you can place a monitoring device on that ship’s communications array without Organa or any of his people noticing,” Palpatine ordered.

“Yes, Excellency,” Panaka replied. Thoughtfully, he continued, “There’s just one thing that doesn’t make sense, Excellency. All indications would seem to suggest that the leaders of this conspiracy are holding a council of war. Organa has traveled to Naboo. Neeyutnee is already on Naboo, and she has requested that Senator Amidala join her on Naboo. Windu has not come to Naboo personally; he sent a representative in his place. Why?”

“With Yoda’s death in the recent terrorist attack against the Jedi Temple, Windu is now the Jedi grand master,” Palpatine told him. “That places him in command of the entire Republic war effort. Whatever the purpose of this operation, he must not consider it important enough to require his personal attention.”

“Well, at a minimum, he considers it important enough to divert four Star Destroyers and a dozen troopships from their regularly assigned duties,” Panaka said.

Palpatine blinked several times in surprise. “_Four_ Star Destroyers and a _dozen_ ground assault ships?”

“Plus eight frigates and light cruisers of various configurations,” Panaka added.

“What could they possibly be doing with three clone divisions that Windu _doesn’t_ see as warranting his personal attention?” Palpatine asked incredulously.

“If I may, Excellency,” Panaka said, “you assume that all twelve troopships are carrying their full complement of clone troopers.”

Palpatine considered this for a moment. “That is a valid point. The _Acclamator_ class is the fastest in the fleet. If they really were conducting a search-and-rescue operation, it would not be unreasonable for them to employ the _Acclamator_ as their primary search platform and carry only the complement of clone infantry that they would expect to need for a boarding action. We know, however, that that claim is simply a cover story for their real plan.”

“It’s still possible that they could have unloaded most of the clone troopers in order to use the ships for some other purpose, even if that purpose isn’t what they claim it is,” Panaka pointed out.

“Yes, but what is the real purpose, and perhaps more importantly, how many more ships are already out there supposedly searching for these nonexistent captured diplomats?” Palpatine wondered.

“Is ship deployment information something you would have access to as supreme chancellor?” Panaka asked.

“Ordinarily, yes, but I don’t know whether these reassignments were done through official channels or off the record,” Palpatine replied. Several minutes of silence followed as the chancellor activated his computer terminal and began searching the records.

“They’ve reassigned the entire Fifth Fleet to search operations, at least nominally,” Palpatine eventually declared. “It’s possible that some of that is just for show so that if some enterprising HoloNet reporter decides to dig deeper, they’ll find a number of ships assigned to the operation that’s large enough to cover the region of space they claim to be searching.”

“So you don’t think they’re using the entire fleet,” Panaka stated.

“Not unless they’re planning to drive on Raxus, but if they were doing that, why all the cloak-and-blade?” Palpatine responded.

Panaka nodded in agreement. “It’s not like they need to concoct a pretext for launching an invasion against the capital of a hostile power. Besides, Raxus is halfway across the galaxy from Naboo. Why would they be marshaling their forces that far from the target?”

Palpatine sighed. “It’s no use speculating. We need more information.”

“I’ll get that monitoring device placed,” Panaka said. “By your leave, Excellency?”

Palpatine nodded. “Good luck, Major.”

* * *

“Your security captain told me his people could clear out in ninety minutes, Your Highness. It’s been two and a half hours,” Tiin said impatiently.

“We really are sorry for the delay, Master Jedi,” Neeyutnee assured him. “There must have been some unforeseen complication—”

“Then perhaps Major Panaka needs to run his men through this procedure more often,” Tiin suggested.

“I have every faith in the ability of Major Panaka and his staff—”

Neeyutnee’s platitudes were interrupted by the chime of the communications unit. Neeyutnee turned to the technician and nodded at him to open the channel.

The blue-tinted image of Major Panaka appeared out of the holoprojector. “RNSF HQ has been secured and is ready for the GAR to set up its base of operations.”

“It was supposed to be ready an hour ago, Major,” Neeyutnee replied. “What’s with the delay?”

“Some of the wiring at the standby facility sustained rodent damage,” Panaka explained.

“I’ll have maintenance make sure everything gets properly sealed up once you transfer operations back to the primary headquarters,” Neeyutnee told him.

“You might also want to call an exterminator,” Panaka said wryly, holding up a dead rat by its tail.

“I’d say so,” Neeyutnee replied, not in the least amused. “If that’s all you have to report?”

Seeing Panaka nod, Neeyutnee signaled for the communications technician to close the channel. She looked up from the now-inactive holoprojector just in time to see the door close behind Tiin as he departed the throne room, comlink in hand.

Neeyutnee turned to Governor Bibble. “Has there been any word from Senator Amidala since her acknowledgement of my request for an in-person meeting?”

“She reports that she has arrived safely but is feeling unwell and has retired to her quarters for the evening,” Bibble informed her.

“I see,” Neeyutnee replied evenly. “The Council is dismissed. Senator Organa, I know you and Senator Amidala are friends. I was thinking of dropping by her quarters to check on her condition. Would you care to join me?”

“If I won’t be intruding, Your Highness,” Organa responded.

“Not at all,” Neeyutnee told him, stepping down from the throne and making her way toward the exit.

Organa and Retrac fell into step behind her as she made her way through the Palace’s residence wing. They eventually stopped in front of the last door on the left side of the top-floor hallway. Neeyutnee rapped on the door, which opened to reveal Captain Gregar Typho, Senator Amidala’s chief of security.

“Your Highness?” he asked, confused at her appearance.

“You may take up a guard position outside this room, Captain,” Neeyutnee instructed.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Typho replied, still unsure of what was happening.

Typho stepped away from the doorframe to allow the party to enter. Once Neeyutnee, Organa, and Retrac had entered the room, Typho exited, pulling the door closed behind him.

“We’re out on the veranda!” the group heard Dormé call from the other side of the stone archway set in the opposite wall.

Neeyutnee and Retrac followed Organa out onto a terrace overlooking the cliffs on which the Palace had been built, where they found Dormé and Saché resting on lounge chairs, a bottle of wine and two glasses on the small table between them.

After they had exchanged greetings, Organa turned to address Neeyutnee. “When you get a chance, tell Major Panaka that the rat carcass was a nice touch.”

Neeyutnee pressed her lips into a thin line. “Panaka’s not in on the plot,” she told him solemnly. “At least he’s not supposed to be.”

“Perhaps he figured it out on his own and decided to give us some assistance,” Retrac suggested.

Neeyutnee shook her head. “Panaka’s loyalty is to the government, not the people running it. If he had evidence implicating Senator Amidala, or anyone else in the government, for that matter, in some sort of impropriety, he would not hesitate to go public with it.”

“The foreign affairs scandal that forced Veruna to abdicate shook public trust in the government quite a bit,” Organa observed.

“Trust that was restored by Amidala’s rule,” Neeyutnee pointed out.

“Still, I doubt the memory has completely faded from the public mind,” Organa countered. “Perhaps Panaka believes that the government cannot survive another scandal of that magnitude, especially one involving the person who restored public trust after the first scandal, and so has decided to keep his information quiet.”

“Even if he had decided not to go public with the information, I doubt he would do anything that would aid Amidala in escaping justice,” Neeyutnee replied, “especially since he blames the attacks on Naboo during the Clone Wars on Amidala not doing enough to bolster Naboo’s defenses following the invasion.”

“So the million-credit question is—” Retrac began.

“Why did he drag his feet on the transfer?” Neeyutnee finished. “Probably just to spite the Jedi for forcing his people to move. Either that, or we really do have a rodent infestation, which I doubt.”

“You don’t think Panaka would have left behind some sort of surveillance device so he could keep an eye on the Jedi from the standby facility, would he?” Dormé asked.

“I hope not,” Organa responded. “If he did, Tiin will almost certainly assume we told him to leave it there so that we would know if they were getting close to finding the _Sundered Heart_, and I somehow doubt he’d be very open to considering the idea that Panaka is acting of his own authority.”

“We’ll deal with that if and when it comes to pass,” Neeyutnee declared. “Right now, we have a more pressing issue: that of the tap the GAR is placing on the Palace communications system.”

“When I stepped out to the ‘fresher shortly after Tiin arrived, I surreptitiously sent a warning message to the _Sundered Heart_—routed through the _Tantive IV_’s communications array, mind you, so even if he had already placed the tap, he shouldn’t have been able to intercept it,” Organa told her.

Neeyutnee sighed. “Good. So our people aboard the _Sundered Heart_ know not to contact us on the Palace channels, and we have an alternate way of contacting them that won’t be monitored. In the morning, we’ll head out to Varykino, set up a rudimentary command center, and figure out where to go from there.”

Organa nodded. “Who exactly will be going out to Varykino?”

“The five of us plus Captain Jannick,” Neeyutnee replied.

“Can he be trusted?” Retrac asked.

“Absolutely,” Neeyutnee assured her.

“With all due respect, Your Highness, that’s exactly what Anakin said about his Padawan, and she’s now Tiin’s chief lieutenant,” Organa pointed out. “I’d rather it be just the five of us unless you believe it’s absolutely necessary that Jannick be brought along.”

“It would be too suspicious for me to travel to the site of a Separatist attack unaccompanied by security,” Neeyutnee told him. “Jannick has been with the Security Forces for fifteen years—”

“Since the reign of King Veruna,” Saché interjected from her lounge chair.

Neeyutnee’s head snapped around to face Saché. “You don’t think Panaka’s beef has something to do with old loyalties to Veruna, do you?”

“It was Veruna who established the Royal Starfighter Corps,” Saché said. “To Panaka, that’s a huge step in the right direction as far as bolstering Naboo’s defenses.”

“We’re getting off-topic,” Retrac reminded them.

“Yes, of course,” Neeyutnee agreed deferentially. “Captain Jannick joined the Security Forces in the waning years of Veruna’s reign, when his popularity was already on the decline, so I doubt that’ll be a problem. He fought with distinction during the invasion and has been a member of the Queen’s Guard ever since, becoming its captain when Panaka was promoted to RNSF chief of operations.”

“What about his opinions on Padmé?” Organa asked.

“I once overheard a discussion between him and Major Panaka in which he defended her refusal to give in to Panaka’s calls for an enlargement of the Security Forces, saying that to do so would be ‘closing the garage door after the speeder’s been stolen,’” Neeyutnee told him.

“Okay, so he agrees with her policies, but that doesn’t necessarily tell us what we want to know,” Retrac said. “The question we need to answer is that of whether he would keep our secret.”

“I believe he will,” Neeyutnee replied confidently.

Retrac looked to Organa as if to ask whether he was satisfied with her response.

“She’s right,” he admitted. “We have to bring some security in order to avoid attracting suspicion, and Jannick being a supporter of Padmé’s platform is probably more likely to go along with this than a political opponent of hers would be.”

“It’s settled, then,” Neeyutnee said. “We’ll leave for Varykino at 0800 tomorrow morning. If you’ll excuse me, I must return to my duties.”

The rest of the group nodded as Neeyutnee turned and made her way back inside.

“I don’t suppose either of you could show Sheltay and I to our rooms?” Organa asked.

Dormé nodded. “Go all the way down to the end of the terrace. The first door you get to after you round the corner is your room,” she told them, pointing in the direction they needed to go to reach their room. “When you’re ready for dinner, place your order on the computer terminal and the waitstaff will send it up to your room through the dumbwaiter.”

“Thanks,” Organa said. Taking Retrac’s hand, he continued, “Shall we, Sheltay?”

Retrac smiled indulgently. “Lead the way.”

* * *

Ahsoka and Admiral Yularen stood at the rear of the _Resolute_’s bridge awaiting a response from the Pantoran government. Abruptly, the holoprojector activated, displaying a quarter-size image of Baron Notluwiski Papanoida, chairman of Pantora.

“What can Pantora do for the Republic today?” he asked genially.

“I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent capture of Generals Skywalker and Kenobi?” Ahsoka said. Seeing Papanoida nod, she continued, “We have reason to believe the Separatists may be attempting to hide them somewhere in this region of space. With your permission, we’d like to establish a base of operations on Pantora from which to coordinate our search efforts.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Papanoida replied. “The Pantoran Defense Force recently moved into a new command center. Your people can set up at the old PDF command center. I’ll have someone from my office transmit the coordinates.”

“We appreciate your cooperation, Chairman,” Ahsoka told him, signaling for the communications technician to terminate the connection.

“Well, that was relatively painless,” Yularen remarked.

“Agreed,” Ahsoka said.

“Coordinates received, sir,” a voice called from the starboard crew pit.

“Begin shuttle launches,” Yularen ordered. Turning back to Ahsoka, he added, “You were saying, General?”

“I don’t think they’re hiding out on Pantora,” Ahsoka told him. “Papanoida seemed far too welcoming of our presence for someone harboring Republic fugitives.”

“Perhaps he’s simply trying to throw us off the trail by acting as if he has nothing to hide and hoping we’ll be lulled into a false sense of security and not probe any deeper,” Yularen suggested. “Or, alternatively, perhaps Senator Chuchi made the arrangements herself without telling Chairman Papanoida so that he can’t accidentally let the skifflin out of the sack.”

“Get him to act like he has nothing to hide by letting him honestly believe it,” Ahsoka said wryly. “Only problem is that he can’t adapt on the fly because he doesn’t know he needs to.”

“Now, how to test that theory…” Yularen wondered.

Their musings were interrupted by the arrival of the second-in-command of the 501st Legion, Clone Captain CT-7567, nicknamed “Rex.”

“A word, Commander?” he requested of Ahsoka.

“That’s General now, Captain,” Ahsoka reminded him, even though she knew that, as a clone trooper bred for obedience, Rex’s “mistake” could not have been anything but a deliberate act.

“My apologies,” Rex replied.

Ahsoka nodded. “We’ll be on the observation deck,” she informed Yularen.

Ahsoka turned and made her way to the portside turbolift with Rex following close on her heels. The journey to the observation deck was made in silence, and they found it deserted when they arrived.

“What’s on your mind, Rex?” Ahsoka asked, making her way over to the viewport.

“Permission to speak freely?” Rex requested.

“Granted,” Ahsoka replied. To herself, she thought, _It’s not like denying it would have stopped him._

Rex removed his helmet and placed it on the sill. “The general doesn’t deserve this,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“They’re deserters, Captain,” Ahsoka stated plainly.

Rex gave no response other than to raise one eyebrow at his commanding officer.

“They were given a lawful order to report to Saleucami and take command of Republic forces there, and they chose to disobey that order,” Ahsoka reminded him.

“Come now, you know that’s not what this is about,” Rex chided.

“Orders are orders, Captain,” Ahsoka said.

Rex scoffed. “Tell that to the clones who died on Umbara.”

“Those orders were found to be unlawful,” Ahsoka pointed out.

“The damage was already done by the time that was discovered,” Rex countered.

“Still, this is a completely different situation,” Ahsoka responded. “The legality of the orders in this case is not in question.”

“Well, perhaps they wouldn’t have been put in the position of having to disobey orders if the Council had seen fit to give them adequate leave,” Rex said. “They’d just returned from an eight-month deployment and were then asked to go back to the front lines less than 72 hours later. Not even Jedi are that superhuman, even if you’d like to think you are.”

“Come now, you know that’s not what this is about,” Ahsoka chided.

“The point still stands,” Rex declared. “Front-line fighting by its nature is a very stressful experience. Clone troopers are genetically engineered to minimize the psychological effects of extended front-line service. Jedi are not. Their combat effectiveness will suffer without adequate recovery time away from the front lines.”

“There’s no time to spare for them to recover behind the lines!” Ahsoka protested.

“Surely there are other Jedi Generals—” Rex began.

“None of whom could even dream of being anywhere near as effective as Skywalker and Kenobi!” Ahsoka countered.

“So what you’re telling me is that the senator has been overworking herself and needs to take time off to recover, but the general is too important to the war effort to be allowed to take time off to recover?” Rex asked.

“Wha—how did you—?” Ahsoka spluttered.

“Just because I was bred to fight, doesn’t mean I’m short on intelligence,” Rex pointed out.

“Alright, first of all, I never actually agreed to be a part of their little scam,” Ahsoka said defensively. “They didn’t tell me what their real plan was until it was too late for me to back out.”

“Which I’m sure they wouldn’t have done without a very good reason!” Rex stated.

“They wanted to keep me away from Windu because they thought he would try to pump me for information,” Ahsoka told him.

“Guess that didn’t stop you from telling him yourself,” Rex quipped.

“You’re treading on thin ice, Captain,” Ahsoka warned.

“They deserve to be happy,” Rex said.

“Not if it interferes with the execution of their duties,” Ahsoka countered.

“It wouldn’t interfere if the Council treated them like beings instead of droids and gave them enough time away from the fighting between deployments—” Rex protested.

“Even if they did, it would still be a conflict of interest,” Ahsoka interrupted.

“Oh, come on! Please tell me you don’t honestly believe—” Rex shouted.

“I don’t make the rules, Captain,” Ahsoka reminded him. With a sigh, she continued, “I just have to enforce them.”

“What’s the point in enforcing rules for their own sake?” Rex asked.


	10. Chapter 10

“So you were the pilot of the cargo transport that carried Master Rancisis’ body to the new headquarters site?” Kolar asked.

The clone trooper nicknamed “Lee” nodded. “That’s right, General.”

“And I’m given to understand that, due to casualties during the attack on the original headquarters site, you were operating without a loadmaster?” Kolar asked.

Lee nodded again. “Also correct, sir.”

“Then am I correct in concluding that the cargo you were carrying was unattended during the journey to the new headquarters site?” Kolar asked.

“If you’re thinking someone could have done something to the body while it was in the back of the transport, think again,” Lee told him. “We sealed the reefer unit before we loaded it into the transport, and when we unloaded it, the seal had not been broken.”

“Can you say for certain that the seal was not removed completely and then replaced with a fresh seal?” Kolar pressed.

“No, sir, I can’t, but the load sensors in the cockpit didn’t detect any change in the loading other than fuel burn-off,” Lee replied. “Even if someone had somehow managed to stow away in the cargo hold without our noticing their presence—unlikely in itself—the load sensors would have detected them moving around back there.”

“If the transport you used is still available, I’d like to inspect its load sensors to ensure that they are in proper working order,” Kolar requested.

“That shouldn’t be a problem, sir,” Lee agreed.

As Kolar had expected, the inspection revealed that the load sensors were working properly.

“Satisfied, sir?” Lee asked once Kolar had completed his inspection.

“Just a few more questions,” Kolar replied. “After you unloaded the refrigeration unit containing Master Rancisis’ body, what was done with it?”

“We put it in storage with all of the other recovered bodies,” Lee told him.

“Who would have had access to the storage area?” Kolar asked.

“Just medical personnel and senior command staff, sir,” Lee responded.

“And were you in any way involved in the process of transferring the recovered bodies to the _Majestic_?” Kolar asked.

“No, sir,” Lee replied. “I believe all the personnel involved in the transfer were from the _Majestic_.”

Kolar nodded. “That’s all the questions I have for you at this time. You may return to your duties.”

* * *

“So no one has any suggestions as far as neutralizing the artillery that’s keeping the 327th pinned down?” Fisto said.

The blue-tinted visage of Master Luminara Unduli shook its head sadly. “Not on the timetable we would need in order to relieve the 327th before their supplies run out.”

Fisto sighed. “Supply transports: you’re in position to move in once the bombardment lets up?”

“We’ll need you to draw their fire for at least ten minutes in order to get in and out without being pinned ourselves,” the commander of the lead transport reminded him.

Fisto turned to Vos. “Transmit the falsified coordinates to the Separatists.”

Vos nodded and made his way out of the command center to contact the Separatist forces.

When he returned a few minutes later, Vos strode over to the holographic map of the battlefield and activated it. “I gave them the coordinates of this position about fifty klicks south of our actual headquarters,” he told Fisto, pointing at the location on the map.

Fisto nodded. “So now we wait.”

The door to the command center swung open and Kolar entered.

Fisto turned to face him. “Master Kolar, we’re in the middle of a time-sensitive operation here—”

“Then I’ll make this brief,” Kolar interrupted, making his way over to where Fisto was standing. Leaning in, he whispered, “I’m still in the preliminary stages, but it appears that if someone on Saleucami is involved, it’s one of the medical personnel.”

“That seems unlikely,” Fisto replied. “Medical personnel shouldn’t have access to the ammo dump. If the attack was indeed accomplished by packing the body full of explosives—”

“The other option is that it’s a member of the senior command staff,” Kolar told him, “so I’d say the rigging of the body most likely happened after it left Saleucami.”

Before Fisto could formulate a response, he was interrupted by the shrill clanging of the command center’s air-raid sirens.

“Report!” Fisto barked.

“The 327th is still pinned,” the commander of the supply convoy reported.

“Still pinned? What do you mean, still pinned?” Fisto shouted incredulously.

“The artillery bombardment of their position is still underway,” the commander reported.

“_How_ could Intelligence have so grossly underestimated the strength of their artillery?” Fisto asked in frustration.

“Sir, we’re under attack!” a clone trooper in the command center reminded him. “We need to pack up and relocate again!”

Fisto turned to examine the map. “There,” he decided, pointing at a spot on the map. “There’s a large cavern thirty klicks due east of our current position. We’ll set up our new headquarters there.”

A chorus of “Yes, sir” echoed through the command center as the signal was given to begin the evacuation procedure.

Once the evacuation was underway, Fisto rounded on Vos. “I thought you gave them falsified coordinates!”

“I did!” Vos protested. “They must have triangulated the origin of my comlink signal, assumed that I was at the headquarters, and targeted my position instead of the coordinates I gave them!”

Fisto eyed him suspiciously. “We’ll continue this discussion later. Right now, we need to deal with the evacuation.”

* * *

“So all of that for nothing?” Fisto asked.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the commander of the supply convoy replied. “They were somehow able to maintain a bombardment of both positions simultaneously. We didn’t get the break we needed to deliver the supplies.”

“Master Unduli, I’d like you, Padawan Offee, and Green Company to make your way to headquarters so we can plan out an operation to relieve the 327th,” Fisto requested.

Unduli nodded. “We can be there in twelve hours.”

Fisto turned his attention back to the commander of the supply convoy. “Were you able to get close enough to make contact with the 327th?”

“Yes, sir,” the commander informed him. “General Secura reports that the scouting party she sent forward to locate the source of the bombardment was discovered by droidekas and routed.”

“Lovely,” Fisto muttered. “Alright. Hold your position. If the bombardment lets up, move in and make the delivery.”

“Yes, sir,” the commander responded.

Terminating the communications with Unduli and the supply convoy, Fisto left the command center, made his way to Kolar’s quarters, and rapped on the door.

“Enter,” Kolar called.

Fisto ensured that the door had closed behind them before he said, “You can probably guess why I’m here.”

“You think Vos intentionally gave them the real coordinates,” Kolar surmised.

“You said a member of the senior command staff could have been responsible for the attack on Master Rancisis’ funeral,” Fisto replied.

“It certainly doesn’t look good for Vos,” Kolar agreed.

“We know he’s a double agent,” Fisto said, “but whose double agent is he?”


	11. Chapter 11

Captain Jannick guided the V-19 landspeeder to a stop outside the house of Paddy Accu, the caretaker of the Varykino Lake Retreat. As they began to disembark from the speeder, the house’s door swung open and Accu came out onto the lawn to meet them. Seeing Neeyutnee among them, he bowed.

“Your Highness,” he greeted her.

Dormé, as Senator Amidala, stepped forward. “Hello, Paddy.”

Accu smiled. “How’ve you been, Padmé?” he asked, giving her a friendly slap on the shoulder.

“Oh, you know,” Dormé replied, smiling slightly. “Seems like I’m always osculating the hindquarters of some foreign diplomat or another—no offense, Bail.”

“I am _deeply_ offended that you would say such a thing, Senator,” Organa responded in mock indignation.

“I presume you’re here because you want a ride out to Varykino?” Accu said once the ensuing laughter had died down.

Jannick nodded. “We’d also like to leave our landspeeder with you for safekeeping while we’re there.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Accu assured them. Nodding to the speeder, he continued, “I presume you’ve got luggage in there?”

Jannick motioned for Accu to follow him to the rear of the speeder, where he opened the cargo compartment to allow Accu to examine its contents.

“Figure two loads of passengers and three of luggage to get everything across,” Accu declared upon inspection. “Which do you want me to take first?”

“Passengers,” Neeyutnee told him. “Take myself, Captain Jannick, and Senator Amidala on the first load and the rest of the group on the second.”

Accu nodded, then turned and made his way over to a boathouse situated on the edge of the lake. He entered it and emerged shortly thereafter at the helm of a grey-and-yellow gondola speeder. He expertly maneuvered the gondola speeder parallel to the shore and brought it to a stop where Neeyutnee, Jannick, and Dormé could easily board.

“You ever ridden in one of these before?” Accu asked Neeyutnee as he helped her into the narrow passenger compartment.

“No,” Neeyutnee replied.

“Well, then you are in for a treat,” Accu told her.

* * *

“So, how’d you like it?” Accu asked Neeyutnee as he guided the gondola speeder to a halt next to the Lake Retreat’s dock.

“It was…interesting,” Neeyutnee replied noncommittally.

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” Accu responded jovially.

Neeyutnee took a deep breath to steady herself. “If you say so.”

Dormé, in the seat directly behind Accu, leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “I think she’s a bit seasick.”

Accu nodded silently, then climbed from the gondola speeder and helped the passengers disembark.

Once the gondola speeder had pulled away from the dock, Neeyutnee turned to Jannick. “Sweep the premises for any sort of surveillance device the Jedi may have left behind after their inspection.”

Jannick nodded. “Right away, Your Highness.”

Jannick drew his blaster and disappeared inside the house, returning a few minutes later with his blaster back on its belt clip. “All clear,” he reported.

“Wait here for the second group to arrive,” Neeyutnee ordered.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Jannick acknowledged.

Motioning for Dormé to follow, Neeyutnee made her way up the stairs and inside the house. Jannick, Saché, Organa, and Retrac joined them in the sitting room several minutes later.

“Alright,” Jannick said, turning to Organa. “Do you have any idea what sort of a clue to their whereabouts we might be looking for if one of your people left a signal?”

“Sit down, Jerus,” Neeyutnee requested.

A look of confusion crossed Jannick’s face, but he sat down nonetheless.

“Captain, what we are about to tell you cannot leave this room,” Organa said.

Jannick nodded. “Understood, Senator.”

Organa took a deep breath before declaring, “There was no diplomatic conference.”

Jannick was taken aback. “Well.”

“How familiar are you with the internal workings of the Jedi Order?” Organa asked.

“Not very,” Jannick admitted.

“The part you need to know for our purposes is that Jedi are not permitted to have romantic relationships,” Organa told him.

“I believe you may have just dashed the dreams of billions of women hoping to spend a night with General Skywalker,” Jannick quipped.

“So our story begins five days ago when Senator Amidala was diagnosed with Chandrilan influenza,” Organa continued.

Jannick’s head snapped around to look at Dormé.

“I’m not Senator Amidala,” Dormé informed him.

Jannick nodded in understanding. “You’re just one of her handmaidens. I knew something didn’t look quite right about you.”

“Anyhow, General Skywalker and Senator Amidala married shortly after the start of the Clone Wars in contravention of the Jedi Code,” Organa explained. “When Skywalker learned of Amidala’s illness, he managed to convince her to return to Varykino to recover.”

Jannick chuckled. “Not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.”

“It certainly was not,” Organa agreed. “Anyhow, accompanying them to Varykino were General Kenobi; another of the Senator’s handmaidens, Sabé, with whom General Kenobi has formed a romantic relationship; and General Skywalker’s then-apprentice, now a general in her own right, Ahsoka Tano.”

“I think I see where this is going,” Jannick interrupted. “Stop me if I misspeak. While they were here, the Jedi discovered that Generals Skywalker and Kenobi violated the Code. Upon being informed of this, Tano turned on her masters and attempted to take them into custody, forcing them and their wives to flee aboard the _Sundered Heart_, which you had loaned to them so that they could leave Coruscant unnoticed, allowing a handmaiden to take over Senator Amidala’s duties during her incapacitation.”

“Essentially correct,” Organa confirmed.

“I think I’m beginning to understand Major Panaka’s beef with the Jedi,” Jannick told Neeyutnee.

Neeyutnee shook her head. “Major Panaka doesn’t know about this—I’ll rephrase. We didn’t tell Major Panaka about this.”

“You think he may have found out on his own,” Jannick surmised.

“We’re not entirely sure what to think,” Neeyutnee replied.

“So the plan is to set up something here to keep an eye on the Jedi’s search for them and warn them if the Jedi are getting close?” Jannick asked.

“More importantly, they only have a week’s worth of food, not including emergency rations,” Organa told him.

“I see,” Jannick responded. “So we need to either find them a safe-haven world where they can acquire more food or find a way to get more food to them on the _Sundered Heart_ without attracting the Jedi’s attention.”

“And at some point, we need to find a way to orchestrate a controlled boil-over of the situation so as to allow them to come out of hiding without having the revelation that we lied to the media damage our reputations,” Retrac added.

“One problem at a time, Sheltay,” Organa reminded her.

“Our original plan before we realized the Jedi were going to establish a search base on Naboo was for them to spend a few days in space until the Jedi left Naboo, then circle back and lay low here until we could find a way to make this blow up in the Order’s face,” Retrac explained. “Obviously, that’s no longer an option.”

“Which means they need more food and, eventually, somewhere else they can lay low until this mess boils over,” Jannick summarized.

“And we need to find a way to do it that can’t be traced back to us,” Organa added.

“We could contract a spacer to do the job,” Jannick proposed. “I’m sure we could find someone who’d be willing to do it if they knew it would be helping Senator Amidala.”

“Except that the Jedi will be expecting that,” Organa pointed out. “Tano knows they only have a week’s worth of supplies. She’ll have told the Jedi to expect us to attempt to resupply them.”

“That probably also excludes disguising it as an RRM shipment,” Dormé lamented.

“Senator Amidala’s father is head of the RRM,” Saché reminded her. “That would be even more obvious than just contracting a random spacer.”

“We need to send out the supply ship from somewhere other than Alderaan or Naboo,” Neeyutnee agreed.

“Might one of your allies in the Senate be willing to make the arrangements?” Dormé asked Organa.

“The question is who,” Organa replied. “My closest ally, other than Padmé, of course, is Mon Mothma, but I fear she lacks the connections needed to make something like this happen off the record.”

“What about Fang Zar?” Retrac suggested.

“He certainly has his fingers in many stewpots,” Organa responded. “That’s probably our best bet.”

“Before we contact him, we should figure out where we want them to hide out,” Jannick put in. “The supplies they need might depend in part on where we decide to send them.”

“Good idea,” Neeyutnee said. “Would you head back out to the dock and check on the status of our luggage?”

“Right away, Your Highness,” Jannick replied, standing and turning to leave.

He returned shortly thereafter carrying a suitcase in each hand. “Everything’s been brought over, Your Highness.”

Neeyutnee nodded. “Good. Have Dormé and Saché help you bring the rest inside, then set up the holographic map.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Jannick confirmed. Saché and Dormé stood and followed him out onto the dock.

Neeyutnee turned to Organa and Retrac. “Help me move this table out of the way so we have room to set up the holoprojector.”

Once those tasks were completed, the six of them reassembled in the sitting room, where Jannick activated the holoprojector, displaying a map of the galaxy.

“Okay, so we need somewhere for them to hide where the Republic isn’t likely to find them,” Jannick said.

“Do we dare risk hiding them in Wild Space?” Dormé asked.

Organa shook his head. “Intelligence thinks the Confederacy has secret bases hidden in Wild Space. I don’t want to send them somewhere and have them accidentally discover a Separatist base.”

Retrac, sitting next to Organa, tapped him gently on the knee and motioned toward the door.

“We’ll be right back,” Organa told the rest of the group. He and Retrac stood and stepped out into the hall.

“This seems like the sort of thing you had in mind for Isis,” Retrac suggested.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Organa agreed. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, considering the possibility. “The problem is that the coordinates aren’t in the _Sundered Heart_’s navicomputer, and I’m not willing to risk transmitting them over a communications channel, even an encrypted one. Besides, if we do send them to Isis, and the Jedi somehow manage to track them down—”

“—it would compromise the usefulness of Isis as a safe world should the time come to make a stand against Palpatine,” Retrac finished.

“Exactly,” Organa replied. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to bring my frozen ace into play this early in the game.”

“Frozen…” Retrac muttered to herself. Her head snapped up in sudden realization, and she hurried back into the sitting room with Organa hot on her heels. She made her way over to the holoprojector and manipulated the map’s controls to zoom in on a section of the Western Reaches.

“Hoth,” she proposed. “An uninhabited ice planet situated along the little-used Ison Corridor near the edge of the Ivax Nebula.”

A murmur of assent went up from the group. “How much food do we think we need to send?” Neeyutnee asked.

“Well, that depends on how long we think they’ll need to stay in hiding,” Dormé noted.

“Is two weeks too optimistic?” Saché said.

“I don’t think so, but let’s go with three to be on the safe side,” Organa replied. “Once the trail runs cold—no pun intended—they’ll probably start sending the resources they diverted to the search effort back to their previous assignments. Hopefully, by the time three weeks have passed, the amount of resources still assigned to the search effort will be small enough that we can dispatch another supply ship without drawing suspicion.”

“Assuming we haven’t found a way to break the truth to the public by then,” Retrac pointed out.

“They’ll also need cold-weather gear, unless they want to stay in the ship the whole time,” Jannick added.

“Okay, so they’ll need enough food to feed four people for three weeks and winter gear for four people,” Organa summarized. “Can anyone think of anything else they might need?”

“You said Senator Amidala had Chandrilan influenza,” Jannick said. “Do they have enough medicine to last her until she’s recovered?”

Organa nodded. “They should. Anything else?”

When no one responded, he pulled out his comlink and dialed. The blue-tinted image of Senator Fang Zar appeared shortly thereafter.

“In case you’ve forgotten, Bail, it’s 0300 Coruscant time,” Zar greeted him, sounding slightly annoyed.

“My apologies, Fang,” Organa replied sheepishly. “If you’d rather I call back at a more reasonable hour—”

“No, no, I’m up now, you might as well say whatever it is you need to say,” Zar interrupted. “Besides, I’m sure you wouldn’t be calling at all if it weren’t important.”

“We have a situation on our hands that could potentially have far-reaching effects on the war,” Organa told him.

“How can I be of assistance?” Zar asked.

“Are you alone?” Organa queried. Seeing Zar nod, he continued, “For reasons I’m not able to explain over a comlink, Generals Skywalker and Kenobi have faked their own capture. I need you to send a supply ship to rendezvous with the _Sundered Heart_. Have them bring winter gear for four people and enough food to feed four people for three weeks.”

A brief hint of surprise crossed Zar’s face when Organa said “four people,” but he suppressed his curiosity and simply nodded in response. “Off the books, I presume?”

“Not a word of this to anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Organa confirmed.

“I’ll put my best people on it,” Zar assured him. “When they’re ready to make the delivery, I’ll contact you for the rendezvous information.”

“How long do you expect it’ll be before you’re ready?” Organa asked.

“I’m hoping not more than thirty-six hours,” Zar replied.

Organa nodded. “I’ll be awaiting your signal.”

Zar watched the hologram of Organa wink out of existence as the communication was disconnected. Crossing to the other side of his apartment, he withdrew a private comlink from a secret compartment hidden in the closet and dialed. The blue-tinted figure of a human male appeared shortly thereafter.

“Captain Jadak,” Zar greeted the man. “I have an assignment for you.”

* * *

Obi-Wan awoke in his quarters aboard the _Sundered Heart_, dressed, and made his way into the lounge, where he found Sabé seated at the table with a cup of caf.

“Sabé—” he began.

“Look, I know you needed to play up the situation for Ahsoka’s benefit, but you _really_ overdid it,” Sabé interrupted.

“When we realized Windu was onto us, we were caught off guard,” Obi-Wan told her. “When Ahsoka tried to convince us we were jumping at shadows, we realized she was the one who had tipped Windu off, which rattled us even more. We weren’t thinking clearly—”

Sabé snorted derisively. “I’ll say.”

“—and as a result, we slipped back into a battlefield mentality,” Obi-Wan admitted, “and when we’re on the battlefield, we make a lot of our decisions based on gut instinct and guidance from the Force.”

“And you never stopped to consider the possibility that we might have something to add to the discussion?” Sabé accused.

“Quite frankly, no,” Obi-Wan replied. “As soon as we realized Windu was onto us, all other considerations went out the airlock. We were scrambling to make sure that the four of us would be gone by the time Windu’s enforcers showed up.”

“Which wouldn’t have been for at least another eight hours,” Sabé pointed out. “There was plenty of time for consultation.”

Obi-Wan stopped. “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”

Sabé nodded sadly, staring into her cup of caf.

“Well?” Obi-Wan prompted.

“She was crying when I found her,” Sabé told him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Obi-Wan’s brow knit in confusion. “I’m not sure I follow.”

“After Padmé stormed off, I tried to explain to you what you had done, and then I left to go look for her,” Sabé reminded him. “When I finally found her, she was sitting on the ‘fresher floor crying because she thought her opinion didn’t matter to you.”

Obi-Wan’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Sabé, I had no idea. If I had known—”

“You didn’t know because I chose not to tell you,” Sabé explained. “I knew that if we tried to resolve the issue without allowing adequate time for everyone to cool off, you would just get defensive again, and she would get angry with you again as a result, and it would just wind up making the problem even worse.”

“I should go apologize to her,” Obi-Wan said, standing from his chair.

Sabé held up a hand to stop him. “Not now, Obi-Wan. She’s sleeping. Look, as long as we have an understanding moving forward, I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “In that case, I’ll relieve Anakin at the controls.”

After giving Sabé a quick kiss on the cheek, Obi-Wan crossed the lounge and stepped onto the flight deck, closing the door behind him as he did so.

“Hey,” Anakin greeted him. “Sleep well?”

“About as well as can be expected,” Obi-Wan replied, “considering I’m now a fugitive from the organization I’ve served my whole life.”

“Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts,” Anakin said.

Obi-Wan raised one eyebrow. “They tried to take her away from me, Anakin. I’m not about to let that happen.” Sighing, he continued, “I’m just worried about the Order’s future, that’s all. I’ve been saying this whole time that change has to come from the inside out—”

“—and now that we’re stuck on the outside looking in, you’re not sure change will ever come to pass,” Anakin finished.

Obi-Wan nodded. “I have to imagine Windu’s first order of business as grand master will be to convince the moderates to side with him so that he can fill the vacancies on the Council with fellow conservatives or, failing that, yes-men.”

“Making it that much more difficult to get reform through,” Anakin concluded. “On the other hand, if he pushes too hard to get the moderates’ support, he might drive them away by making it look like he’s trying to suppress our opinions.”

“He is,” Obi-Wan responded, sliding into the copilot’s seat, “and even if he did drive the moderates away, I doubt they’d go so far as to fully back the progressive agenda.”

“I know this may be hard for you to hear, Master,” Anakin began, “but have you considered the possibility that the Order may have to be torn down and rebuilt from the ground up in order to fully regain public trust?”

“I don’t think we need to go quite _that_ far,” Obi-Wan replied. “I think all that’s needed to regain public trust is to pass the reforms the progressives are already calling for and to increase transparency so that the public can gain a better understanding of who we are and what we stand for.”

“Yes, but what’s needed to actually get the reforms passed?” Anakin pressed. “How much of the current Council will actually be willing to vote for this?”

“Obviously Windu thinks we have a realistic chance of winning over the moderates, or else he wouldn’t be going so far out of his way to discredit us,” Obi-Wan pointed out.

“Do _you_ think we have a realistic chance of winning over the moderates?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan sighed. “I honestly don’t know, Anakin. A lot depends on how long Windu can keep up the charade, and on how the public reacts when they finally learn the truth.”

For a moment, they stared out the viewport in silence.

“What Ahsoka did—should we have seen it coming?” Anakin asked eventually.

“I’ve been asking myself that ever since we left Naboo,” Obi-Wan replied. “I’m not sure I’ve found an answer yet.”

“Were we naïve to think Ahsoka would be willing to keep our secret for us?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed. “What was it you asked me in the kitchen at Varykino four days ago?”

Anakin glanced over, slightly confused. “I believe I asked why Padmé would want to marry me when she had billions of rich and powerful suitors lining up at her door.”

“No, no, after that,” Obi-Wan clarified. “Just before you told me what happened on Tatooine. You asked me if Ahsoka was right about Padmé having lied about loving you because she thought you were going to die in the arena on Geonosis. When did she say that?”

“Just after we arrived at Varykino,” Anakin recalled. “She was unpacking Padmé’s luggage.”

“Did she say anything else that could have potentially been a clue that this was coming?” Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shook his head. “I got the impression that she didn’t like what we were doing, but she was willing to tolerate it.”

“Did you get the impression that her attitude was ‘I don’t like it, but I’ll keep the secret out of respect for you’ or ‘I don’t like it, and I won’t go straight to the Council, but if someone asks me, I won’t deny it?’” Obi-Wan asked.

“I thought it was the former, but—” Anakin took a deep breath before continuing. “I checked the logs, Obi-Wan. Five minutes after she left to get food, there was an outgoing transmission from the _Sundered Heart_’s communications console to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he leaned forward in his seat. “_She _initiated the communication?”

Anakin nodded sadly.

“Hang on,” Obi-Wan said suddenly. “If she was the one who initiated the conversation, why did she wait four days after she found out about it? Why not break the news when we came before the Council the very next day?”

“Perhaps it took her a while to arrive at the decision,” Anakin suggested. “Perhaps she was hoping to do it in a way that we wouldn’t find out that she gave us up.”

“Or,” Obi-Wan realized, “perhaps it was because Windu had contacted us earlier that day and asked us to take command of the forces on Saleucami.”

“Earlier in the conversation I had with her after we arrived, she characterized the option of leaving the Order so that we could carry on our relationships without breaking the Code as abandoning our duty to the people of the Republic,” Anakin agreed. “She probably felt that our insistence on remaining with Padmé and Sabé on Naboo was no better than leaving the Order for them.”

“Even so, we had been promised a week’s leave from the front lines,” Obi-Wan reminded him. “Was it too much to ask that Windu honor that?”

“Windu never wanted to let us go to Naboo in the first place,” Anakin pointed out. “Master Yoda was the one who permitted it.”

“And with Yoda dead, Windu no longer felt the need to abide by his decision,” Obi-Wan concluded.

“Well, I suppose it’s nice to know she only betrayed us because she thought it was for the greater good,” Anakin commented ruefully. “Would’ve been nice if she’d told us to our faces that she was doing it.”

“She had to know we’d go on the run if we knew Windu knew about Padmé and Sabé,” Obi-Wan noted. “She probably wanted to teach us a lesson about actions having consequences.”

“Alternatively, she knew Windu would launch a massive search effort if we got away in time, and she didn’t want Republic resources being tied up by non-combat operations,” Anakin proposed.

“Oh, yeah, when this whole thing is over, remind me to apologize to Ahsoka for wanting to protect the woman I love,” Obi-Wan shot back sardonically.

“I will, just as soon as I apologize to her for wanting to protect my wife,” Anakin riposted with equal sarcasm.

The communications console beeped. Obi-Wan stood and made his way over to inspect it. “Incoming communication,” he reported. After a moment, he added, “It’s Bail. He’s on an encrypted channel.”

Anakin also stood and walked over to join Obi-Wan. “Put it through.”

Obi-Wan tapped a button on the console. The console’s integrated holoprojector activated, displaying a quarter-size image of Bail Organa.

“Any progress?” Obi-Wan asked.

“I’ve been in contact with Senator Zar,” Organa replied. “He’s arranging for a ship to resupply you. I’m transmitting the rendezvous coordinates now.”

A light on the console began to blink. “Coordinates received,” Anakin informed him. “I’ll feed them to the navicomputer.”

“When do you expect Zar’s ship to arrive?” Obi-Wan asked.

“He’s supposed to contact me again when he has the supplies ready to be delivered,” Organa explained. “At that time, I’ll transmit the rendezvous coordinates to him, and he’ll transmit his ship’s transponder codes to me, which I will pass on to you so that you can verify his ship’s identity when it arrives.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Will do.”

“After you get the supplies, I want you to proceed to Hoth,” Organa told them. “It’s an ice planet in the Greater Javin. I’ve made sure to have the supply shipment include sufficient cold-weather gear for the four of you.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “It just had to be an ice planet, didn’t it?”

“Hey, it’s better than a desert planet,” Anakin interjected.

“Says the man who grew up on a desert planet,” Obi-Wan retorted.

“And hated every minute of it,” Anakin reminded him.

“You see what I have to put up with?” Obi-Wan asked Organa in mock frustration, jabbing his thumb at Anakin.

“Whatever you say, Master Jedi,” Organa said submissively.

“Keep your head down, Bail,” Obi-Wan advised.

“You, too, Obi-Wan,” Organa replied, closing the connection.

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin. “I’ll take over up here.”

“Thanks, Master,” Anakin said.

Anakin exited the flight deck and made his way to the sleeping quarters he and his wife shared. He found Padmé lying in bed on her stomach with the pale blue comforter pulled up past her shoulders. The cream-colored pillow seemed to swallow her head in its depths, leaving visible only a small portion of the left side of her face, which was further obscured by the chocolate-brown locks that fell across it in loose curls. Her breathing was slightly ragged, but a contented smile seemed to tug at the visible corner of her mouth.

To Anakin, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Padmé half-opened one eye at the sound of Anakin’s entry. Seeing him standing in the doorway protectively watching over her, her smile grew into a lopsided grin. Her left hand emerged from beneath the comforter and patted the empty space next to her on the bed. Accepting Padmé’s invitation, Anakin crossed to the bed and slid under the covers to join his wife, who rolled from her stomach onto her side and reached up with one hand to pull Anakin down for a kiss.

“How’re you feeling, Angel?” Anakin asked once their lips parted.

“Much better now that you’re here,” Padmé replied.

“Oh, is that all I am to you? Medicine?” Anakin teased, pulling her into his embrace.

Padmé eyed him mock-reproachfully. “You know me better than that, Ani.”

In response, Anakin gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and began rubbing her back with one hand. Padmé let out an involuntary sigh of pleasure and nestled her head into the crook of his neck as he gently soothed the aching, tense muscles she had long ago ceased to notice.

“I love you, Ani,” she murmured.

“I love you, too, Angel,” Anakin whispered, running his other hand through her hair.

* * *

“We intercepted two transmissions,” Panaka reported. “One was between Senators Organa and Zar, in which Organa confirmed that the capture of Skywalker and Kenobi was faked and requested that Zar send a supply ship to rendezvous with the _Sundered Heart_.”

“And the other?” Palpatine asked.

Panaka shook his head. “We were unable to decrypt it. Our slicers suspect that a counterpart encryption was used.”

“Transmit the raw message data. I’ll see what my slicers can do with it,” Palpatine requested. “What about the destination?”

“Unable to determine, but if a counterpart encryption was used, it would almost have to have been another Alderaanian asset,” Panaka replied. “My suspicion would be the _Sundered Heart_ itself.”

Palpatine’s brow furrowed in concentration. “Did Organa say what supplies the _Sundered Heart_ needed?”

Panaka nodded. “That’s perhaps the most interesting part, Excellency. He requested sufficient food and cold-weather gear to last four people for three weeks.”

Palpatine raised one eyebrow. “_Four_ people?”

“The only thing I can figure is that he really wants enough to last two people for six weeks but wants to throw any potential eavesdroppers off the trail,” Panaka said. “I can’t think of who else would be with them. There’ve been no reports of any other missing or captured Jedi.”

“Did Organa give the location or time of the rendezvous?” Palpatine asked, dropping the issue of the _Sundered Heart_’s other two occupants for the time being.

Panaka shook his head. “No, Excellency. That information was to follow in a subsequent message.”

“Continue monitoring Organa’s communications,” Palpatine ordered. “When he transmits the time and place for the supply drop, contact me at once.”

“Yes, Excellency,” Panaka responded.

As Palpatine was about to terminate the communication, a thought occurred to him. “Is Organa still on Naboo, Major?”

Panaka nodded. “Yes, Excellency.”

“Then why all the rush yesterday to get his ship serviced and fueled?” Palpatine asked.

Panaka cocked his head, considering this. “Organa, Queen Neeyutnee, and Senator Amidala traveled to the site of the alleged conference early this morning, accompanied by two aides and the captain of the Queen’s Guard.”

“Then perhaps something did happen out there—but what?” Palpatine wondered.

Panaka activated his computer terminal and ran a search. “The _Sundered Heart_ arrived on Naboo four days ago and left two days later.”

“Any record of what it was doing there?” Palpatine asked.

“Allegedly, it arrived for the conference,” Panaka told him.

“And where exactly do they claim this conference was held?” Palpatine pressed.

Panaka checked the computer terminal again. “Varykino, Excellency.”

“The Lake Country retreat of House Naberrie,” Palpatine mused as if this explained everything. “Amidala’s role in this conspiracy is larger than we originally thought. Tell me, Major, is your nephew still Amidala’s captain of security?”

“Yes, Excellency,” Panaka confirmed. “Now that you mention it, Excellency, it does seem a little odd that he did not accompany her to Varykino.”

“Find out what he knows,” Palpatine ordered.

Panaka nodded. “Yes, Excellency.”

* * *

Dressed in civilian garb that concealed her lightsabers, Ahsoka wandered into Watto’s shop on Tatooine and began looking around unobtrusively. Hearing her enter, its Toydarian proprietor flew over to greet her.

“Hi chuba da nago?” he asked gruffly in Huttese.

“I’m looking for a new low-pressure compressor for a Jenth-24 turbine engine,” Ahsoka replied.

“Jenth-24,” Watto muttered to himself, cocking his head to one side in thought. “Don’t think I have any of those. You’re welcome to take a look out back, if you’d like. I do have a few compressors for a Jenth-27, if you think you can make it fit.”

“I’ll see if I can find one for a 24 first,” Ahsoka said.

As she made her way out to the junkyard behind the shop, she stretched out with the Force to see if she could sense any of the fugitives’ presences nearby. Coming up empty, she decided to try a more direct approach.

“So, you the sole proprietor?” she asked idly.

“Yeah,” Watto told her. “I used to have a couple slaves to help me out way back when. Lost one in a bet with a Jedi and sold his mother a few years later.”

“What would a Jedi want with a slave?” Ahsoka asked in feigned confusion, already knowing the answer.

“Apparently the kid had whatever it is the Jedi look for in new recruits,” Watto explained.

“You ever see him again after the Jedi took him off to wherever they train new Jedi?” Ahsoka asked.

“Yeah, he showed up a few years ago looking for his mother,” Watto replied. “I think I heard the Tuskens got her a couple days later. Never did hear what became of him after that.”

Over the course of the next ten minutes, Ahsoka wandered through the junkyard performing a visual inspection to ensure that the fugitives had not escaped detection on her preliminary scan by masking their Force presences. Finding that they were indeed not present, she thanked Watto for his time and made her way to the outskirts of town where she had landed the _Twilight_, a converted spice freighter she and Anakin had occasionally used for infiltration missions during the war.

Once aboard the _Twilight_, she keyed the microphone for the subspace transceiver. “General Tano to Search Team Anchorhead. Anything?”

_“Search Team Anchorhead here. That’s a negative, General. Skywalker’s stepbrother apparently considered him ‘a disgrace to the memory of his mother’ and said that ‘if I never see that damned coward again, it will be too soon.’”_

“In other words, he would have turned them away if they had asked him for help,” Ahsoka stated.

_“Lifeform scanners confirmed that only the stepbrother and his wife were present,” _the clone trooper reported.

“Alright,” Ahsoka acknowledged. “Head back to the ship.”

_“Wilco. Returning to ship. Search Team Anchorhead out.”_

Once both the shuttle and the _Twilight_ had landed aboard the _Resolute_, Ahsoka made her way back to the bridge.

“Next stop?” Yularen asked.

Ahsoka thought for a moment. “Navigation, plot a course to Geonosis.”

Yularen raised a skeptical eyebrow. “An abandoned Separatist stronghold.”

“Which the Republic never took over after it drove the Separatists off,” Ahsoka reminded him, “meaning that the planet should be more or less deserted.”

“If our intelligence reports are correct,” Yularen said.

“Besides, it’s less than a parsec away,” Ahsoka pointed out. “We wouldn’t be wasting more than about ten minutes checking it out.”

“Jump calculated,” the navigator called from the portside crew pit.

“Activate the hyperdrive,” Yularen ordered.

Yularen and Ahsoka watched out the forward viewport as the stars stretched into starlines and exploded into the mottled blue of hyperspace.

“Hyperspace exit in five, four, three, two, one, mark,” the navigator called out.

The first thing that caught Ahsoka’s eye when they emerged from hyperspace was the red-orange planet of Geonosis off their port bow. The second was the massive metal skeleton of the partially constructed space station that hung in low orbit.

“What the kriff…?” Ahsoka whispered hoarsely.

“So much for abandoned,” Yularen remarked.

“Sensor focus on that space station,” Ahsoka ordered. “Navigation: plot a course back to Pantora. I want to be out of here as soon as we complete our sensor scans of that station.”

“Two Separatist frigates moving to intercept,” a voice reported from the starboard crew pit. “Bearing 62 by 18.”

“Sound general quarters,” Ahsoka directed. “Deflectors to full power. Stand by turbolasers.”

“Prepare to launch fighters,” Yularen added.

“Belay that,” Ahsoka shouted. “Sensor officer, how long to complete those scans?”

“Three minutes, General,” came the reply.

“Don’t bother with the fighters,” Ahsoka said. “I want to be able to get out of here as soon as those scans are finished without having to wait until we recover fighters.”

The _Resolute_ shuddered as the Separatist frigates’ turbolasers found their mark. Thrown off-balance by the sudden shaking of the deck, Yularen was unable to maintain his footing and fell from the command walkway into the portside crew pit.

The navigator activated the intercom at his station. “Medical team to the bridge.”

“Damage report!” Ahsoka barked.

“Tractor beam projector number four and the long-range communications array have been destroyed,” a voice shouted from the rear of the bridge.

“Helm: come right, heading 142 by 36,” Ahsoka ordered. “All turbolasers, fire when ready.”

Slowly, the _Resolute_’s bow swung around to face the approaching frigates. As she did so, her eight dual turbolaser turrets began opening fire as their targets came into arc.

“They’re launching vulture droids,” a voice reported from the starboard crew pit.

“Bring point-defense lasers online,” Ahsoka responded. “Progress on those scans?”

“Halfway there, sir,” the sensor officer informed her.

“Preliminary results?” Ahsoka asked.

“Roughly spherical,” he replied. “120 kilometers in diameter.”

“_Roughly_ spherical?” Ahsoka repeated.

“There’s a circular dimple 40 kilometers in diameter on one side,” he explained. “I’d say it’s a good bet we’ve discovered the latest Separatist superweapon, sir.”

“Power readings?” Ahsoka inquired.

“Still waiting on those to come back, sir,” he told her.

“Let me know when you have the rest of the scan,” Ahsoka ordered. _So the question we have to ask ourselves,_ she thought to herself, _is whether to take a chance on being able to destroy this thing before it can be completed at the risk that Republic High Command won’t be alerted to its existence if we are ourselves destroyed._

“Jump calculated,” the navigator reported.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose._ This would be so much easier if they hadn’t knocked out our long-range comms._

“Scan complete, sir,” the sensor officer announced. “I show a single reactor currently operating at an output of 37 petawatts, but readings indicate that that is several orders of magnitude less than its maximum output.”

“Shields?” Ahsoka asked.

“None detectable, sir,” he replied.

_Their latest superweapon defended by nothing but two measly frigates?_ Ahsoka thought to herself. _I don’t buy it. This smells like a trap._

“Shall I activate the hyperdrive, sir?” the helmsman asked.

_On the other hand, they knew the Republic didn’t know they still had a base here, so committing a large defensive force would have just drawn attention to it,_ Ahsoka reasoned. _Now that we know they’re here, and they know that, they’ll increase their defenses since doing so would no longer be giving themselves away, which means that—assuming this isn’t a trap—we have one chance at taking this thing down with minimal casualties, and it has to be now._

“The scans of the space station are complete, sir. Shall I activate the hyperdrive?” the helmsman repeated.

_The trouble is,_ Ahsoka thought darkly,_ if it is a trap, that’s exactly the reasoning they want us to follow, and with no long-range comms, if we’re destroyed, Republic knowledge that this thing is here dies with us._

Stretching out to the Force for guidance, Ahsoka made her decision. “Stand down hyperdrive. Prepare to launch fighters—and get a repair team on that comms array.”

As she strode down the command walkway toward the aft bridge turbolift, she declared, “We’re taking this thing out.”


	12. Chapter 12

Seated in the cockpit of a Y-wing fighter-bomber, Ahsoka flicked the switch for the general frequency and keyed her microphone. “Okay, here’s the plan: all V-wing squadrons, engage the frigates and their vulture droids. Shadow Squadron will make the attack run on the station. Red Squadron, fly cover for us. Anything gets through the V-wing screen, I need you to intercept it before it can interfere with our attacks on the station.”

_“Copy that,”_ Red Leader acknowledged from the cockpit of his ARC-170 starfighter.

Ahsoka switched from the general frequency to her squadron’s frequency before continuing, “Shadow Squadron, our best chance at taking this thing out is to breach its reactor core, which our scans indicate should set off a chain reaction that will destroy the station. Now, since we have to shoot through the superstructure in order to hit the reactor, if our proton torpedoes hit the superstructure on their way in, they’ll detonate prematurely. In order to maximize our chances of a torpedo getting through to the reactor, we’ll make our attack runs in pairs, with each ship launching two torpedoes at a time. From our scans, we’ve located the point on the surface where our firing lane is least obstructed. I am transmitting the coordinates to your targeting computers now.”

One by one, each of the other eleven Y-wings in the squadron acknowledged that they had received the coordinates.

A transmission came over on the general frequency. _“This is Starfighter Control. All squadron leaders, check in.”_

_“Black Leader, checking in.”_

_“Blue Leader, checking in.”_

_“Brown Leader, checking in.”_

_“Gold Leader, checking in.”_

_“Green Leader, checking in.”_

_“Grey Leader, checking in.”_

_“Red Leader, checking in.”_

“Shadow Leader, checking in,” Ahsoka responded.

_“Thirty seconds to launch,”_ Starfighter Control informed them.

With a thunderous groan of metal, the massive hangar bay doors above them slowly began to slide open.

Ahsoka switched her transmitter to intercom mode. “Final systems check, Artoo?”

Artoo twittered a response from his position in the astromech socket behind her.

“Oh. Right,” Ahsoka replied sheepishly, flipping the canopy switch to the closed position. “We good now, Artoo?”

Artoo whistled an affirmative.

Above them, the hangar bay doors locked into place. _“All squadrons are cleared for launch,”_ Starfighter Control announced.

With an expression of grim determination, Ahsoka opened the throttle and pulled back on the control yoke. Once she was clear of the hangar bay doors, she pulled the landing-gear lever to the raised position.

As the twelve Y-wings and their ARC-170 escorts made their way toward the station’s spherical skeleton, Ahsoka noticed one of the two Separatist frigates breaking formation and moving toward the station.

“Change of plans,” Ahsoka announced on the general frequency. “_Resolute_, stay between us and that frigate for as long as you can. Close the hangar bay doors if you need to. Black, Gold, and Grey Squadrons, stay with the _Resolute_ and keep the vulture droids occupied. Blue, Brown, and Green Squadrons, hang back in case the other frigate tries an end-around.”

After receiving acknowledgements from the rest of the squadron commanders, Ahsoka switched back to her squadron’s frequency. “Shadow Three, Shadow Four, the first attack run is yours.”

_“Copy that,”_ Shadow Three replied enthusiastically.

The two Y-wings to Ahsoka’s immediate right accelerated out of the formation and began a dive toward the station. Several seconds passed in silence as the Y-wings closed to firing range.

_“Shadow Three to Shadow Leader. My screen’s gone haywire. I’ve lost target lock.”_

Ahsoka frowned. “Reset the targeting computer. I’ll transmit the coordinates again if you need them.”

_“Shadow Four to Shadow Leader. I’ve lost lock too.”_

“They can’t both be bad,” Ahsoka muttered to herself.

Artoo gave a series of chirps in response.

Sighing in frustration, Ahsoka keyed her microphone. “Break off your attack run,” she ordered. Switching to the general frequency, she continued, “Shadow Leader to Starfighter Control. We’re being jammed. Have White Squadron launch with a load of anti-sensor missiles. I need that frigate’s jamming equipment taken out. Red Squadron: join the V-wing picket line. We need to keep that second frigate out of jammer range.”

_“You gonna be okay without cover, Shadow Squadron?”_ Red Leader asked.

“We’ll use the _Resolute_ for cover until the jammers are out of commission,” Ahsoka replied.

As she said this, Shadow Three and Shadow Four slotted back into formation. Moving as one, the squadron turned off and set a course back toward the _Resolute_. As they neared the ship, Ahsoka decelerated and took up a holding position off the _Resolute_’s port beam, the rest of the squadron following suit. Shortly thereafter, the _Resolute_’s ventral hangar bay doors opened and the twelve Z-95 Headhunters of White Squadron streamed out.

“Shadow Leader to _Resolute_. As soon as White Squadron takes out those jammers, turn off and engage the second frigate. We can’t let it get past our picket force.”

_“Green Leader to Shadow Leader. The second frigate’s going in motion. Looks like it’s trying to loop around behind the _Resolute_ just as you predicted.”_

“Yeah, but I didn’t account for the jammers when I made the prediction,” Ahsoka admitted. “_Resolute_, slap a tractor beam on that frigate!”

_“_Resolute_ to Shadow Leader. The second frigate’s jammers just went active. We can’t get a positive lock.”_

“Acknowledged, _Resolute_,” Ahsoka replied. “White Leader: split your squadron. I need you to knock out the jamming equipment on both frigates.”

_“We’re on it, Shadow Leader,”_ White Leader confirmed.

“All V-wings: keep those frigates and their vulture droids distracted so the Headhunters can get in range,” Ahsoka continued. “Starfighter Control: scramble all remaining fighters. What’s the status of our comms array?”

_“Still another fifteen minutes before we can get it back online,”_ came the reply from the _Resolute_’s captain, Izek Zavek.

_“Black Seven to Starfighter Control. You’ve got hyena droids inbound, bearing 283 by minus eight. They must’ve launched from the planet’s surface.”_

_“I have visual. They’re launching from the station,”_ Black Five broke in.

“Deal with ‘em, Red Squadron,” Ahsoka ordered.

_“Copy that, Shadow Leader,”_ Red Leader acknowledged.

_“White Leader to Starfighter Control. Missiles away.”_

As the six White Squadron starfighters veered off to avoid a collision, the seeker heads on the missiles they had just launched detected the sensor-jamming signals being emitted by the first frigate and began homing in on their source. Within seconds, a series of explosions rippled across the frigate’s hull, engulfing not only the jamming equipment but also the sensor and communications arrays directly to starboard.

“Shadow Leader to _Resolute_. Concentrate all turbolaser fire amidships of that frigate. Let’s see if we can break its back.”

_“Blue Nine to Starfighter Control. The second frigate’s broken through the picket line.”_

“_Resolute_, can your ion cannons get a firing solution on the second frigate?” Ahsoka asked.

As if in response, the portside ion cannons opened fire, disrupting the frigate’s electronics and slowing it just enough to allow the other half of White Squadron to catch up to the frigate and deliver its payload.

_“White Two to Starfighter Control. Missiles away.”_

_“Red Leader to Starfighter Control. We got trouble. Three Separatist destroyers coming around from the far side of the planet.”_

“Shadow Leader to _Resolute_. Recover your V-wings and Headhunters and then get out of here. We’ll meet you back at Pantora. Red Squadron, Shadow Squadron, start calculating a hyperspace jump. Let’s blow this thing and get back to base.”

_“_Resolute_ to Shadow Leader. Are you sure you’ll be able to destroy the station without any support?”_

“You’ll be sitting mynocks if you don’t get out of here in about the next two minutes, _Resolute_!” Ahsoka shouted. “We’ll find a way to get this thing. We always do. Get the ship and the rest of the fighters to safety while you still can.”

She switched to her squadron’s frequency before continuing, “Alright, Shadow Squadron, time is of the essence, so we’ll have to do this all in one go. Form up line astern. When you get to the mark, fire all your torpedoes and then peel off so the next in line has a clear shot.”

Once the formation was assembled, she ordered, “Accelerate to attack speed.”

Ahsoka set her Y-wing into a dive toward the station, thanking the Force that Separatist destroyers lacked the frigates’ jamming equipment. Almost immediately, they took their first losses.

_“I’m hit!”_

“Hang in there, Shadow Four!” Ahsoka shouted.

Unfortunately, the vulture droid that had wounded Shadow Four scored a second hit before Red Six was able to neutralize the threat. Shadow Four’s Y-wing broke apart in a shower of sparks. A piece of the starboard engine nacelle struck the canopy of Shadow Five immediately following, causing him to spiral out of control. A similar incident claimed Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight, while Shadow Twelve was picked off the back of the line by a well-placed proton torpedo from a hyena droid.

“Five seconds to release point,” Ahsoka announced to the seven remaining Y-wings.

Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka watched as her targeting computer counted down the range. When it hit zero, she squeezed the trigger ten times, releasing her full load of proton torpedoes. As she veered off to clear the firing lane, she observed that Red Squadron’s numbers had similarly dwindled on the way in.

A warning in the Force drew her attention back to the battle at hand, and she twisted the control yoke to the right, barely avoiding blasterfire from an oncoming vulture droid, which she finished off with her Y-wing’s medium laser cannons.

The station’s reactor core finally gave up just as the last of the Y-wings peeled off after completing its attack run. A series of small explosions from the torpedo detonations grew as the loss of the core set off chain reactions in the fuel tanks. Finally, the entire station tore itself apart from the inside out in a massive fireball that claimed one of the Separatist destroyers as Ahsoka threw the hyperdrive lever, propelling them out of the battle.

Safe in the mottled blue of hyperspace, Ahsoka released a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. The battle had served as a stark reminder of why she and Anakin had so vehemently opposed the Republic Starfighter Corps’ recent shift towards so-called “attrition units.” The V-wing and its two measly laser cannons, even six squadrons’ worth of them, had no business getting in the way of a capital ship. The concussion missiles carried by its predecessor, the V-19 Torrent, would have at least given her fighter squadrons a sporting chance at holding the line against a Separatist frigate. While the V-wing’s increased agility may have made up for its reduced firepower in a dogfight, it was of little help in terms of preventing a breakthrough.

The tacticians at the Naval War College on Anaxes had told her and Anakin that the most effective use of V-wings was to take advantage of their sheer numbers to overwhelm the enemy’s defenses. _Even if that actually worked,_ Ahsoka thought to herself, _it seems to me like a waste of clones and equipment._

“Take over control, Artoo,” she requested. “I have some things I need to meditate on.”

* * *

Captain Typho sat on a bench next to the small pond that formed the centerpiece of the Naboo Royal Gardens. Hearing a noise behind him, he turned to see Major Panaka approaching. He quickly stood and snapped to attention.

Panaka waved him off. “Walk with me, Gregar.”

“Yes, sir,” Typho replied.

Slowly, the pair began to stroll through the Royal Gardens.

“Senator Amidala’s return to Naboo was…quite unexpected,” Panaka remarked offhandedly.

“I doubt they were planning on the conference with the Alderaanians being attacked,” Typho reminded him.

Panaka took a deep breath before replying, “There was no RNSF security detail assigned to a conference with the Alderaanians.”

“If it was supposed to be a secret conference, the assignments were probably made off the record,” Typho pointed out. “Besides, they probably thought three Jedi was sufficient.”

“I don’t think there was a conference,” Panaka declared.

“I’m not sure I like what you’re implying,” Typho responded defensively.

“Gregar, I want you to fill me in on the circumstances of Senator Amidala’s return to Naboo,” Panaka requested. “Leave nothing out, no matter how unimportant you think it is.”

Typho eyed his uncle warily, but acquiesced. “About fifteen minutes after Master Windu held his press conference, we received a message from the queen requesting that Senator Amidala return to Naboo to assist the queen in placating the Alderaanians. The senator grabbed the bag she keeps packed in case she needs to leave in a hurry, and then we headed to the spaceport, filed our flight plan, and left for Naboo.”

“‘We,’” Panaka repeated. “Who’s ‘we?’ Just you and Senator Amidala?”

“No, she had a handmaiden with her,” Typho replied.

“Just one?” Panaka asked. Seeing Typho nod, he continued, “Which one?”

Typho thought for a moment. “I believe it was Saché—or was it Rabé? It was either Saché or Rabé.”

Panaka nodded his acknowledgement. “Go on.”

“The journey to Naboo passed without incident,” Typho recounted. “When we arrived, we were met by one of the queen’s messengers, who informed us that the queen was unwell and directed us to proceed to the Senatorial Suite. About two hours later, the queen, Senator Organa, and his aide showed up outside the suite, and the queen showed no outward signs of illness. She asked me to stand guard outside the door, which I did, and the three of them entered the suite. The queen came out about ten minutes later, but Organa and his aide never came out.”

“Perhaps HoloNet gossip is closer to the truth than we give it credit for,” Panaka muttered darkly.

“I doubt that,” Typho replied. “The Ambassadorial Suite adjoins the Senatorial Suite. They probably went around the veranda to their rooms. Anyhow, the next morning, Senator Amidala and her handmaiden departed for the conference site—”

“Alleged conference site,” Panaka corrected gruffly.

“—and asked me to remain behind,” Typho finished, pointedly ignoring Panaka’s interruption.

Panaka’s eyes narrowed. “And you obliged them?”

“They said they were taking a member of the Queen’s Guard with them,” Typho explained. “I assumed they thought my eyepatch would be too conspicuous.”

“Gregar, I want you to think very carefully,” Panaka instructed. “Did you notice anything…_off_ about Senator Amidala?”

Typho’s brow furrowed. “When we were informed that the queen was unwell, she seemed quite concerned, and I got the impression her concern was for something other than the queen’s health. Come to think of it, I believe she stopped to use the ‘fresher on the way to the Senatorial Suite. She seemed a bit more at ease after that.”

“Captain, I believe we have a conspiracy afoot,” Panaka confided, “and though I know not what it entails, I believe I have a good idea of who it entails.”

“Senator Amidala would never—” Typho objected.

“She left Naboo defenseless despite the threat posed by the Trade Federation, and even when they actually invaded, she still refused to bolster the defenses!” Panaka interrupted.

“I don’t see what that has to do with her participation in this alleged conspiracy other than your dislike for her policies,” Typho replied coolly.

“The fact that Senator Amidala’s views are shared by less than a third of her constituents,” Panaka shot back. “Face it, Gregar. She has no chance of surviving the next election.”

“The people adore her, and not only that, they trust her to be above the influence of special interests!” Typho shouted. “They would rather have an honest senator whose platform they oppose than a corrupt one whose platform they support.”

“But wouldn’t they rather still have an honest senator whose platform they support, or did the possibility of such a candidate existing slip your mind?” Panaka retorted. “Honesty will only get her so far if her political views don’t reflect those of her constituents.”

“Even so, if you think she’s going to stoop to the chancellor’s level by fabricating crises to keep herself in office past the end of her term—” Typho began threateningly.

“The chancellor is not doing this because he wants to; he’s doing it because it’s necessary for the good of the Republic!” Panaka interrupted.

“Because he himself made it necessary!” Typho countered. “If the chancellor had not gone out of his way to antagonize the Trade Federation, we would never have had a Separatist Crisis in the first place.”

“Don’t be so naïve, Gregar,” Panaka chided. “The Separatist Crisis was inevitable. Even if Palpatine hadn’t quote-unquote ‘antagonized’ the Trade Federation, the most it would have done would have been to delay the crisis by a few years, by which time Palpatine would have been replaced by someone who probably wouldn’t have handled the crisis with the firm hand it needed.”

“The ‘firm hand’ that involved further antagonizing the Separatists by refusing to recognize their right to secede?” Typho asked.

“They were threatening to tear the Republic in half!” Panaka defended.

“Yes, but if we had allowed them to set up their own independent government, we could have avoided starting a war that’s claimed trillions of lives and decimated thousands of planets,” Typho responded, placing his hands on his hips. “I still fail to see how any of this pertains to Senator Amidala’s alleged participation in this alleged conspiracy of yours insofar as it forms your motivation for running a smear campaign against the current administration because of their refusal to panic in the face of external threats.”

“I am not asking them to panic; I am asking them to take the threat seriously,” Panaka corrected. “The Trade Federation has been out for Naboo blood ever since Veruna’s foreign affairs scandal broke. In the thirteen years since, we have had three different administrations, and not one of them even considered bolstering Naboo’s defenses so that we would be ready if the Trade Federation came to collect.”

“Oh, give me a break,” Typho scoffed. “Amidala had barely been in office six months when the invasion happened—”

“Which would have been more than enough time for her to prepare defenses had she actually treated the Trade Federation as a legitimate threat,” Panaka claimed.

“—and after that, there was no immediate threat, and therefore no reason to perpetrate an unnecessary military buildup,” Typho finished, ignoring Panaka’s interruption.

“‘No immediate threat?’” Panaka repeated skeptically. “We are in the middle of a galaxy-spanning war. The Separatists were able to gain a foothold on Naboo on no less than three separate occasions.”

“And on all three occasions, the existing defenses were sufficient to dislodge the Separatist foothold,” Typho countered.

“No, on the first occasion, the Separatists were dislodged by GAR forces dispatched in response to the Separatist arrival; on the second, they were dislodged by the Gungan Grand Army; and on the third, they were dislodged by a Jedi strike team,” Panaka corrected. “And of course, the invasion of twelve years ago was repulsed by combined Jedi, Gungan, and RNSF forces. On no occasion has the RNSF been able to repel an external threat unaided. Who knows when the Separatists might try again?”

“There’s been no Separatist activity in this sector since the Festival of Light, sir,” Typho reminded him.

“None _that we know of_,” Panaka replied. “I don’t know when they might make another attempt, but I know that when they do, we will be woefully unprepared to respond to the situation unless the queen starts taking this threat seriously.”

“With all due respect, sir, just because the queen does not share your alarmist tendencies does not mean she is not taking the threat seriously,” Typho responded. “A military buildup would accomplish nothing except running up debt and admitting to the Separatists that we are scared of them.”

“On the contrary, we would be making a statement to the Separatists of our refusal to be intimidated and our willingness to defend our homes and livelihoods if necessary,” Panaka countered.

“And it would also invite them to test our resolve,” Typho pointed out. “Just because we might be _able_ to defend ourselves doesn’t necessarily mean we _want_ to have to do so, and provoking them would increase the likelihood of their launching another attack.”

“But if we don’t prepare defenses and they do decide to attack again, we’ll be flattened just like we were twelve years ago,” Panaka shot back.

“Well, I suppose that’s just a chance we’ll have to take then, isn’t it?” Typho asked.

“It’s not a chance I’m willing to take, Captain,” Panaka replied. “I’d rather bolster our defenses and have to use them when we wouldn’t have otherwise than not do so and get overrun by the Separatists again.”

Typho shrugged. “Suit yourself, Major.”

* * *

Mottled blue faded into starlines, which shrank to stars as the _Resolute_ dropped back into realspace over Pantora.

“Get me a channel to Ground Base Pantora,” Captain Zavek ordered.

“Aye, sir,” the communications officer replied.

After a moment, the holoprojector at the rear of the bridge activated, displaying the blue-tinted image of Clone Lieutenant CC-1119, nicknamed “Appo.”

“You have something to report, Captain?” Appo asked.

Zavek nodded. “The _Resolute_ engaged Separatist forces in orbit of Geonosis.”

“Intelligence reports indicated the Separatists had abandoned Geonosis,” Appo said in surprise.

“It appears they took advantage of our belief that Geonosis was abandoned to use it as the construction site for a massive space station General Tano suspected was to be a platform for their latest superweapon,” Zavek responded.

“And the outcome of this engagement was…?” Appo prompted.

“The Separatists’ opening salvo knocked out our long-range communications array and injured Admiral Yularen,” Zavek reported. “In the subsequent exchanges, the _Resolute_ sustained minor damage and lost about half her fighter wing before the arrival of Separatist reinforcements. At that point, General Tano ordered us to recover our remaining fighters and retreat while her squadron of Y-wings and a squadron of ARC-170 escorts made their attack against the station.”

“I’ll inform High Command,” Appo replied. “Do you believe the _Resolute_ will require the services of a repair ship?”

Zavek shook his head. “Our damage control teams can handle it.”

Appo nodded. “Any progress on the search for Skywalker and Kenobi?”

“Tatooine is a bomb-out,” Zavek informed him, “and I think it’s safe to say Geonosis is as well.”

“I’ll pass that along,” Appo responded.

As the hologram winked out of existence, Zavek turned and made his way down the command walkway to the forward viewport.

“Your orders, Captain?” a voice asked from the portside crew pit.

“Continue damage control efforts,” Zavek replied. “Alert me when Red Squadron and Shadow Squadron return.”

Almost half an hour later, the nine starfighters making up the combined remnants of Red Squadron and Shadow Squadron emerged from hyperspace with a flicker of pseudomotion.

“_Resolute_ to Shadow Leader. Status report.”

_“Mission accomplished, _Resolute_,”_ Ahsoka’s voice filtered through the bridge speaker system. “We lost almost two-thirds of our forces, but the station has been destroyed.”

“High Command is dispatching the _Resilient_ to assess the situation and determine how to proceed from here,” Zavek informed her.

_“What, do they think we lost too much of our fighter wing to continue the search for Skywalker and Kenobi?”_ Ahsoka scoffed.

“More likely they’re worried about a possible Separatist reprisal,” Zavek speculated.

_“I’ve heard rumors that Onara Kuat is trying to gather support for another recall vote against Senator Danu,”_ Ahsoka said thoughtfully.

“You don’t honestly believe—” Zavek began.

_“—that the Separatists would take advantage of the political instability on Kuat to stage an attack against the Drive Yards?”_ Ahsoka interrupted. _“Believe it, Captain. Hit-and-fade tactics are the Separatists’ bread and butter, and what better target than the Republic Navy’s main shipyards?”_

“You’re talking about an attack against a Core World!” Zavek shouted incredulously.

_“The Separatists held Duro for ten days last month,”_ Ahsoka reminded him. _“If they can hold Kuat for even one day, the production lines will be down for months, maybe even close to a year.”_

The discussion was interrupted by the arrival of the _Resilient_.

_“_Resilient_ to _Resolute_. We’ve taken on additional fighters to replace your reported losses and are ready to begin transferring those fighters to the _Resolute_ on your mark,”_ came the voice of Jedi Master Plo Koon.

“Acknowledged, _Resilient_,” Zavek replied. “Stand by on the transfer. Red Squadron, Shadow Squadron, prepare to recover.”

_“Copy that, _Resolute_,”_ Ahsoka responded, dropping her landing gear.

_“General, I’d like to call a conference of your senior command staff and mine so that we can get a better idea of exactly what happened and determine how to proceed from here,”_ Koon told her.

_“Alright,”_ Ahsoka agreed. _“We’ll hold it aboard the Resolute, unless you have an objection?”_

_“No objection,”_ Koon replied.

_“Good. Conference Room 1, twenty minutes,”_ Ahsoka instructed. _“_Resolute_, any update on Admiral Yularen’s condition?”_

“He should be able to make the conference,” Zavek informed her.

* * *

Precisely twenty minutes later, Koon, Admiral Khrelan Wieler, Captain Eshana Aliotti, and Clone Commander CC-3636, nicknamed “Wolffe,” entered the _Resolute_’s Conference Room 1, where they were greeted by Ahsoka, Yularen, Zavek, and Rex.

“So what’s this I hear about another Separatist superweapon?” Koon asked.

Ahsoka turned to Zavek. “Do we have the sensor scan data available?”

Zavek nodded and touched a button on the holoprojector in the middle of the table. A shimmering blue hologram of the massive space station sprung into existence.

“Can we overlay a _Venator_ for scale?” Ahsoka asked.

Zavek nodded again and keyed the necessary instructions into the projector’s control unit. A hologram of a _Venator_-class Star Destroyer appeared next to the station, barely visible because of its small size. Upon seeing the comparison, both Wieler and Aliotti felt their eyes involuntarily widen.

Koon pointed at the depression on the side of the station. “I presume that would have been the superweapon’s firing aperture?”

“That’s our guess,” Ahsoka confirmed. “Based on the observed reactor output and our estimate of the maximum reactor output, the weapon, whatever it was, would have been powerful enough to destroy a Coruscant-sized planet when fired at maximum yield.”

“They just keep getting bolder and bolder,” Koon remarked.

“Okay, so how do we think the Separatists will respond?” Wolffe asked.

“Well, first, they’ll probably try to claim that the station we destroyed was actually intended to serve some humanitarian purpose so that we look bad for destroying it,” Yularen suggested.

“Which is all well and good, but ultimately the realm of the politicians,” Aliotti pointed out. “At this point, we have to assume they will launch a retaliatory counteroffensive. We need to figure out what their most likely target is so we can ready our defenses.”

Zavek eyed Ahsoka uncomfortably, waiting to see whether she would voice her theory. To his chagrin, she did.

“If Onara Kuat is able to gather enough support to attempt another recall vote against Senator Danu, the Separatists may try to take advantage of the resulting confusion to attack the Drive Yards.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Wieler scoffed.

“Don’t dismiss the possibility out of hand, Admiral,” Koon warned. “What the _Resolute_ did—unsuspectingly, of course—is rather similar to what she’s proposing the Separatists might do in response, except their action would be intentional and on a much larger scale: jump in on a major enemy construction depot, wreak as much havoc as possible, and jump out before the enemy can summon reinforcements.”

“Yes, but the Drive Yards are much more heavily defended,” Wieler replied. “It would take an entire fleet for them to even stand a chance of surviving, and I simply can’t see them committing that large of a force to a single operation.”

“Which is why I doubt they would make the attempt without an external factor throwing the defenses into chaos,” Ahsoka countered.

“Okay, so let’s say the Separatists don’t think they’ll be able to catch KDY with its pants down,” Aliotti interrupted. “Where else might they target?”

“Rendili? Rothana?” Ahsoka proposed. “I don’t know, but my instincts tell me they’ll target one of our shipyards.”

“It’s certainly not unreasonable,” Rex agreed. “If they can cripple our production lines, they might be able to prolong the war long enough for them to build another one of those monstrosities.”

“They may also attempt to ambush our fleet movements,” Koon proposed. “I saw an intelligence report a few months ago that indicated the Separatists were close to completing a prototype interdictor.”

“If that was a few months ago, they’ve probably completed it by now,” Ahsoka mused. Turning to Zavek, she ordered, “Pull all after-action reports from the past two weeks. See if any of our forces have reported engaging a Separatist force that included an interdictor.”

Zavek nodded and walked over to the computer terminal on the far side of the room.

“The only mention of a Separatist interdictor in the databank is the intelligence report Master Koon referred to,” Zavek reported after several minutes.

“Then perhaps they’ve been holding it in reserve and hoping to catch us off-guard with it,” Ahsoka surmised.

“In any event, we certainly have to prepare for the possibility of facing an interdictor when they launch their counteroffensive,” Koon agreed.

“Is there any known counter-tactic to interdiction?” Wieler asked.

Yularen shook his head. “Other than bypassing the safeties on the hyperdrive, no, and I’d really rather not bypass the safeties.”

“Agreed,” Wieler said.

“So where does that leave us?” Aliotti asked.

“Hoping they’ve hit some delays in completing the prototype,” Ahsoka supplied, “and hoping we can find the thing before it’s ready to go into service.”

“Well, isn’t that _special_?” Aliotti grumbled.

“Hey, I don’t like it any more than you do,” Ahsoka reminded her.

“So how do we move forward from here?” Yularen cut in.

“I think our top priority has to be preparing for Separatist retaliation,” Ahsoka replied, “even if that means pulling ships off the manhunt to defend key Republic strongholds.”

“How likely do we think it is that the Separatists will make the attempt against KDY?” Yularen asked.

“As I said, it depends on whether Onara Kuat can get the votes to organize a recall election against Giddean Danu,” Ahsoka explained. “If she can, the likelihood of the Drive Yards being the target increases exponentially.”

“Which means what?” Wieler scoffed. “We have to stop the recall vote?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “It just means that if a vote does go forward, we need to station additional Republic assets to bolster the Kuati Sector Forces in case of an attack.”

Wieler nodded. “And if the target’s not KDY, you think it’ll be one of the other shipyards?”

“Or potentially a fleet movement if their interdictor is ready,” Ahsoka confirmed. “Recommend we place the fleet at condition two.”

“I concur,” Koon replied.

Ahsoka and her staff began to gather up their datapads. “Any other business, General Koon?”

“Update on the manhunt?” Koon requested.

“Tatooine is a wash,” Ahsoka told him. “Geonosis, as we established, was the site of a secret Separatist construction facility, so I think it’s safe to eliminate it as well.”

Koon nodded, motioning for his staff to begin gathering up their datapads as well.

“The equipment transfers should take us about an hour to complete,” he informed Ahsoka. “Let me know if anything else comes up that you think needs to be passed along.”

With that, Koon and his staff filed out of the conference room, with Ahsoka and her staff following shortly thereafter. Once outside, Ahsoka turned to address her staff.

“Captain Zavek, I want you to supervise the equipment transfers on our end,” Ahsoka ordered. “Admiral, since we’ve got some time to kill, I want you to get some rest so you’ll be in top form once we’re ready to resume our search. Rex, you’re with me.”

Ahsoka spun on her heel and began walking down the corridor, with Rex following dutifully behind. Before they had gone far, they were accosted by CT-27-5555, nicknamed “Fives,” and CT-5597, nicknamed “Jesse,” two of the clone troopers in Rex’s unit.

“A word, Commander?” Fives requested.

“General,” Ahsoka corrected. “Conference room?”

Fives nodded his agreement, and the four of them made their way to the conference room Rex and Ahsoka had just departed. Once the door slid shut behind them, Fives rounded on Ahsoka.

“General Skywalker took you under his wing,” Fives said, depositing his helmet on the table. “For two years, he trained you, he mentored you, he showed you how to be a leader, and _this_ is how you thank him?”

“He needs to learn that he’s not above the rules,” Ahsoka shot back. “He was given a lawful direct order from General Windu to report to Saleucami and take command of the forces there, and he chose not to comply.”

“He was promised a week’s leave!” Jesse reminded her, removing his own helmet. “He had a reasonable expectation that Windu would honor that!”

“That doesn’t give him the right to tell Windu to kriff off if he decides not to honor it!” Ahsoka countered. “Besides, the week’s leave was conditional on there not being any emergencies that required his presence. He knew that from the outset.”

“They just spent eight months on the front lines,” Rex cut in. “There is no way they should be asked to go right back less than 72 hours later.”

“Maybe so, but there’s nothing in the regs that prohibits it,” Ahsoka replied.

“Well, there should be!” Rex shouted.

“But there isn’t!” Ahsoka responded. “Windu’s order was not in violation of any GAR or Jedi standing orders or regulations. There are no legal grounds for Skywalker’s noncompliance. When Windu confronted him with that fact and attempted to force his compliance, Skywalker fled.”

“He had no other choice!” Fives protested.

“Sure he did. He could’ve complied with the order to report to Saleucami, and we wouldn’t have had to deal with any of this!” Ahsoka retorted.

“Quit hiding behind the movement order!” Jesse exploded. “That was never the point! It was a ruse to try and draw him away—”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Ahsoka scoffed. “The secret was safe. If they had just gone to Saleucami as ordered—”

“Someone else would’ve been sent to take over the security detail for the conference, and the lie would’ve been discovered!” Jesse interrupted.

“Well, then maybe they should’ve thought about that before they decided to violate the Code!” Ahsoka shot back.

“They have a right to be happy,” Fives responded.

“The merits of the Jedi Code’s provisions are not up for debate at this time,” Ahsoka declared. “There is a process for changing the Code. If it was that important to them, they should have followed that process while continuing to abide by the Code in its current form unless and until the modification is approved.”

“Their original decision to violate the Code is in the past,” Rex said. “That’s not what’s at issue here.”

“That is the entire issue here!” Ahsoka objected. “Without that, none of the rest of this would even have happened! They have to learn that their actions have consequences!”

“Look, for argument’s sake, let’s take their decision to violate the Code in the first place as a given,” Jesse proposed. “They still didn’t really have any choice but to go on the run when they got the call from Windu.”

“Yes, they did,” Ahsoka replied. “They could have sucked it up, turned themselves in, and faced the consequences for their actions like the Jedi they claim to be.”

“And in doing so, they would have subjected their wives to the same—” Fives began.

“The senator and her handmaiden are outside the Order’s jurisdiction,” Ahsoka interrupted. “They would have faced no consequences for their role in the Code violations committed by Skywalker and Kenobi.”

Fives scoffed. “Don’t be so naïve. If you honestly think the queen would allow Amidala to retain her Senate seat—”

Ahsoka held up one hand. “Allow me to clarify. The _Jedi_ would not have punished them for their role in the Code violations committed by Skywalker and Kenobi. And as to the queen allowing Amidala to retain her Senate seat, I wouldn’t put it past her. Amidala is wildly popular on Naboo, probably enough so to survive the scandal that would result from her marriage going public, and removing her from office would torpedo any chance Neeyutnee might have of winning reelection.”

“Even if the Naboo might be willing to let it go based on her actions during the Trade Federation blockade, the rest of the galaxy almost certainly would not,” Jesse pointed out. “She wouldn’t be able to command the respect of her colleagues, and without that, the people would be better off with someone else as their senator.”

“Well, then maybe she should’ve thought about that before she decided to secretly marry a Jedi,” Ahsoka responded acidly.

“Will you quit saying that?” Fives shouted. “Falling in love isn’t something anyone can control—”

“Which is exactly why the Jedi forbid attachments!” Ahsoka interrupted. “Willingness to do anything for the sake of love is _not_ a good thing, no matter _what_ the holosoaps would have you believe.”

“They just want to be happy!” Jesse said.

“The whole point of being a Jedi is self-sacrifice for the sake of the greater good,” Ahsoka reminded them. “If they can’t wrap their heads around that, then maybe they should leave the Order.”

“As if the Council would allow that during wartime,” Rex huffed skeptically.

“They have in the past,” Ahsoka replied. “I have no doubt that they would be more than willing to do so again.”

“If only to get rid of them,” Fives muttered under his breath.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Ahsoka said. “Now, unless there’s anything else…?”

When none of the clones responded, Ahsoka turned and left the conference room. Once the door slid shut behind her, she leaned back against the wall and sighed. She then removed her comlink from its pouch and dialed.

“Master Plo? I need to speak with you. Meet me on the observation deck.”

* * *

“_Koh-to-yah_…well, I guess I shouldn’t be calling you ‘little Soka’ anymore now that you’re a Jedi Knight,” Koon greeted her. “Congratulations, by the way.”

Ahsoka nodded silently.

“Alright, what’s on your mind?” Koon asked.

Ahsoka sighed. “What am I doing, Master Plo?”

“What the Council has taught you to do,” Koon said. “Uphold the Jedi Code.”

“Then why doesn’t it feel like I’m doing the right thing?” Ahsoka wondered. “Is it because we have to hide the real reason we’re trying to locate them?”

“Perhaps it’s because of the nature of the Code itself,” Koon suggested.

“Master?” Ahsoka asked, confused at Koon’s apparent departure from his previous stance.

“When the Jedi Code was first established tens of thousands of years ago, it was a set of guidelines for what the Council believed to be the best way of resisting the pull of the Dark Side,” Koon explained. “I don’t doubt that Jedi who chose to flaunt the Code were likely looked down on by some of their more conventional peers, but if that Jedi was successful in resisting the pull of the Dark Side, it was perfectly acceptable in the eyes of the Council. At some point, however, the way in which the Code was viewed began to shift. History does not record exactly when this occurred, but I suspect the Ruusan Reformation may have been a catalyst.”

“That would seem likely,” Ahsoka agreed.

“Anyhow, where once the Code was viewed as the best way to resist the Dark Side, it now began to be viewed as the only way to resist the Dark Side,” Koon continued. “As a result, the perception of the Code as a set of guidelines began to morph into a perception of the Code as a set of rules, and eventually the Council began to enforce those rules. By the modern era, the Jedi way has become more about abiding by the Code than about preserving peace and justice in the galaxy.”

“The Code is being interpreted in a context its framers never intended,” Ahsoka realized.

Koon nodded. “The people of the galaxy have noticed this. They see strife and injustice, and they see the Jedi failing to stand against it because we are too busy looking inward to help those we are sworn to protect. I believe that the Jedi must return to a perception of the Code as a set of guidelines rather than a set of rules in order for the people of the Republic to accept our continued role in their government.”

“As if Windu will actually allow that to happen,” Ahsoka scoffed. “To him, any change in the Code that loosens its restrictions would be compromising our ideals in order to appease external pressures, and to him, that is simply unacceptable.”

“He has the best interests of the Order at heart, as we all do,” Koon assured her.

* * *

Hidden away in the Works district of Coruscant, Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, sat in his meditation chamber probing the Force for answers. The faked capture of Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, along with the recent departure of Senators Organa and Amidala for Naboo, belied a larger conspiracy that threatened to leave a thousand years of Sith planning for naught. If only he knew what their conspiracy aimed to accomplish…

The chime of a comlink interrupted his musings. Using the Force, he floated the comlink to the center of the chamber and answered it, revealing the blue-tinted figure of his apprentice, Darth Tyranus.

“You have news, Lord Tyranus?” Sidious asked.

Tyranus nodded solemnly. “A report from Geonosis, my master. Three hours ago, a Republic task force discovered and destroyed the Ultimate Weapon.”

Suddenly everything became clear. _Skywalker and Kenobi were a distraction_, Sidious realized, _a pretense under which the Republic could launch its search effort without tipping us off to the object of their search—and it worked to perfection._

“The transmission Major Panaka intercepted must have been in code,” Sidious fumed.

“Do you still believe it will be necessary for General Grievous to abandon his base on Nelvaan?” Tyranus asked.

Sidious shook his head. “The base is not their target. It was never their target. The Ultimate Weapon was the target all along!” he thundered. “I’m presuming the rendezvous point Organa spoke of in the message is the location where Skywalker and Kenobi in the _Sundered Heart_ will rejoin the Republic fleet. Once he transmits the coordinates, have Grievous lay an ambush.”

“It will be done, my master,” Tyranus assured him. “What of Organa and Amidala on Naboo?”

“Have Bane take care of them,” Sidious ordered.


	13. Chapter 13

In the Republic’s new command center on Saleucami, Master Fisto; Master Unduli; her Padawan learner, Barriss Offee; and Clone Commander CC-1004, nicknamed “Gree,” stood around the holotable, which was currently set to display a holographic map of the battlefield.

“So I think first off, we need to figure out how our intelligence regarding the strength of the Separatists’ artillery was as wildly inaccurate as it apparently was,” Fisto said, “because if it was wrong about that, who knows what else it might have been wrong about?”

Unduli craned her neck up to whisper into Fisto’s ear, cupping her hand next to her mouth so that only he could hear what she was saying. “Could the Separatists be using Vos to feed us false information?”

“Possible but unlikely,” Fisto replied in an equally hushed tone. “I highly doubt he could perform all of the intelligence gathering for all of our forces, and unless our entire intelligence unit has gone bad—”

“He didn’t do all of it himself, but all of the intelligence units were under his command,” Unduli explained. “He could have read the reports and altered them before any of the other generals had a chance to read them.”

Fisto sighed, pressing a hand to his temple. “This is a discussion for another time. Unfortunately, this has become a time-sensitive operation because of Master Secura’s situation, so we’ll have to assume the rest of our intelligence is good.”

Unduli nodded reluctantly. As she turned her attention back to the holotable, she felt Offee tap her on the shoulder and shot her fellow Mirialan a warning glare that silenced her impending question.

“So, thoughts?” Fisto asked the assembled group.

Gree furrowed his brow in concentration. “None of the observations were taken from inside the shield perimeter, correct?”

Momentarily taken aback, Fisto exchanged a questioning look with Unduli. “We haven’t been able to penetrate the shield perimeter. That’s the entire point of this operation.”

“Is it possible they could be projecting some sort of holographic disguise along with the shield?” Gree suggested.

“Theoretically, yes, but in practice, holographically camouflaging an area that large would be prohibitively power-intensive,” the communications officer explained from his post along the edge of the room.

“Could the planet’s geothermal vents provide enough energy for that purpose?” Unduli asked the communications officer.

“They wouldn’t have to,” Gree realized. “The Separatists’ artillery pieces are liquid-cooled. They could hook into the geothermal vents with a heavy-duty condenser like the ones they use in hyperdrive cooling systems. They then take the supercooled fluid coming out of the condenser and pipe it through their artillery pieces’ coolant lines.”

“Which allows them to continue firing more or less indefinitely because they no longer have to worry about overheating,” Fisto grumbled.

“And what’s more, they can probably tap their artillery pieces’ power supplies into the geothermal vents to provide an essentially infinite supply of power to actually fire the weapon,” Gree added.

“Okay, so that gives us an objective,” Fisto said. “Once we’re inside the shield perimeter, we need to cut their artillery off from the geothermal vents.”

“So the question becomes ‘how do we get inside the shield perimeter?’” Offee remarked, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

“A shield generator has to have line of sight to project its shield to a given point in space,” Gree stated.

Unduli nodded slowly, picking up on her second-in-command’s line of reasoning. “We tunnel under the shield perimeter.”

“It would take a lot of explosives to blast out the tunnel, but I think we could pull it off,” Gree asserted.

“It’s certainly the best option I’ve heard so far,” Fisto agreed. “Unless anyone has any better ideas?”

When no one responded, Fisto continued, “Put together a team of combat engineers to blast out the tunnel. Comms, get me General Secura on a secure channel.”

“Right away, General,” the communications officer replied, turning back to his console.

The map disappeared from view and was replaced shortly thereafter by the quarter-size image of Master Secura.

“We think we have a plan,” Fisto informed her without preamble.

“How long will it take?” Secura asked. “My troops only have enough rations for one, maybe two more days. If you can’t get the job done by then, I may have to ask you to send your supply convoy into the fire zone.”

“Well then let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Fisto replied. Before he could continue, his comlink chimed. He pulled it from its pouch on his utility belt and inspected the caller ID, frowning when he saw the name.

“One moment. I have to take this,” he told Secura.

Fisto pressed the button on the side of his comlink to answer the call.

“We have a problem, General,” Gree reported. “Several kilograms of explosives and a temperature-triggered detonator are missing from inventory.”

“A what?” Fisto asked.

“Temperature-triggered detonator,” Gree repeated. “They’re used for sabotage operations. You set the trigger temperature to the operating temperature of the piece of equipment you’re trying to sabotage, plant the explosives, and get as far away as you can. The piece of equipment starts up, comes up to operating temperature—” Gree snapped his fingers, allowing Fisto to draw the obvious conclusion. “You get the picture.”

“I’ll put together an investigation,” Fisto said. “You and your people continue preparations for the op.”

Gree nodded. “Yes, General.”

Fisto ended the call with Gree and turned his attention back to Secura. “If all goes well, we should have you resupplied in 36 hours tops.”

Secura nodded solemnly. “May the Force be with you, Master Fisto.”

“May the Force be with us all, Master Secura,” Fisto replied, signaling for the communications officer to terminate the connection.

As Fisto strode out of the command center to inform Master Kolar of this latest development, he murmured to himself, “Quinlan, this does not look good for you.”

* * *

“So Vos admitted to giving the Separatists the real coordinates of the previous headquarters?” Windu asked, seated in a private alcove in the Temple Communications Chamber.

The hologram of Kolar nodded. “That’s correct.”

“But he maintains that he was not responsible for the attack on Rancisis’ funeral?” Windu continued.

Kolar nodded again. “Also correct.”

“And despite the fact that he has already admitted to aiding the enemy by giving up the headquarters _and_ the fact that he is one of the few people who would have had access to both the explosives locker and the area where Rancisis’ body was being stored, you believe him.”

“He doesn’t fit the profile,” Kolar explained. “Quinlan Vos cares about very little except saving his own skin. He does that by placing himself in a grey area of the war where both sides believe he can be of continued use to them so that neither side will attempt to dispose of him.”

“He lets both sides think he’s their double agent in the other’s ranks while ultimately being loyal only to his own self-interest,” Windu said, leaning back in his chair.

“Exactly. Now, in contrast, the attack on Rancisis’ funeral cannot be interpreted as anything other than an ideologically motivated act of terror intended to send a message to the Jedi Order. That doesn’t fit Vos’ style for two reasons. First, he would be drawing unwanted attention to himself.”

“It would be his head on the chopping block if we ever traced it back to him, and that’s the last thing he wants,” Windu finished.

Kolar nodded in confirmation. “Secondly, our funeral bomber is clearly a strong supporter of anti-Jedi ideology. Vos is too much of a self-preservationist to do anything in furtherance of a political agenda unless it also involved significant potential for personal gain, which this doesn’t.”

“So if not Vos, then who?” Windu asked.

Kolar sighed. “Well, the missing explosives make me think it was almost certainly someone on Saleucami, which means either someone’s access codes have been compromised, which I find unlikely, or our culprit is someone else on the senior command staff, which I find even less likely.”

“_Or_,” Windu suggested, holding up one finger, “there are multiple perpetrators who between them have all of the necessary access codes.”

“You’re right, that’s probably the most likely of the three options,” Kolar agreed. “We’re still sorting through the security logs. Hopefully our bomber will have left a trail.”

With a glance behind him to ensure there were no eavesdroppers, Windu leaned in towards the holoprojector conspiratorially. “How about your other assignment?”

Kolar shook his head. “The 327th’s been pinned under constant artillery bombardment ever since the attack that killed Rancisis. Fisto’s been focusing all his efforts on trying to neutralize the artillery so that they can safely resupply the 327th.”

“So they haven’t had the opportunity to dirty their noses yet,” Windu finished. “That’s all right. They’ll slip up eventually; we just have to give it time.”

“Yes, Master,” Kolar replied with the slightest hint of trepidation.

“Something’s bothering you.”

Kolar sighed. “They’re probably breaking the Code, and if they are, then they have to face the consequences for that. I just can’t believe—I’m hoping we’re wrong about this.”

Windu’s gaze hardened. “Can I trust you to do what must be done if we’re not wrong?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Let me know when you have an update on either front,” Windu ordered, pressing a button on the console to end the communication.

As Windu was standing to leave, a light on the console flashed to indicate another incoming transmission. When Windu pressed the button to answer the call, the blue-tinted image of Master Stass Allie appeared out of the holoprojector.

“I’ve just landed on Serenno,” she reported. “Figure I’ll need a day or two of observation to figure out the best way to infiltrate Dooku’s compound before I make the attempt.”

Windu nodded. “Understood. Keep us informed.”


	14. Chapter 14

Although Senator Zar was not a Force-sensitive, his intuition told him that whatever the reason Generals Skywalker and Kenobi had faked their own capture, the potential ramifications extended much further than anyone realized—perhaps even further than they themselves realized. It was for this reason that he told only two other people about Organa’s request—Tobb Jadak and Reeze Duurmun, the pilot and copilot of the _Stellar Envoy_, which would be delivering the supplies to the _Sundered Heart_. The supplies he procured under the guise of relief shipments to war-torn worlds.

Zar’s private comlink chimed. Checking to ensure that he was alone in his apartment, he moved to the door and locked it before answering.

“All the supplies are loaded,” Jadak reported. “We’re ready to make the delivery.”

“I’ll contact Senator Organa for the rendezvous coordinates,” Zar replied. “One last thing. At the rendezvous, if Skywalker or Kenobi asks you to do something, I want you to do it without question. The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.”

Jadak nodded and terminated the communication.

Zar crossed to the desk on the other side of his apartment and withdrew a sheet of flimsiplast and a stylus before dialing Organa.

“Your people are ready?” Organa asked upon answering. Seeing Zar nod, he continued, “I’m transmitting the coordinates now.”

“Coordinates received,” Zar reported after a moment, copying down the coordinates onto the sheet of flimsiplast. “I am transmitting my ship’s transponder codes…now.”

There was a brief silence as Organa copied down the codes. “Codes received,” he announced when he was finished. “When do you expect your ship will be able to arrive?”

Zar glanced up at the chronometer, then pulled up a map of the galaxy on his computer terminal and located the rendezvous coordinates. “2100 Coordinated Galactic Time?”

“2100 Coordinated. Copy that. Organa out.”

Once Zar relayed the coordinates to Jadak and Duurmun, he went into the ‘fresher, dropped the sheet of flimsiplast into the toilet, and drew a deep breath as he watched it dissolve.

* * *

“Report from the _Solidarity_, General. Abrion sector is clear. Captain Ralen wants to know whether he should take the _Solidarity_ into the Rishi Maze.”

Ahsoka considered this for a moment. The Rishi Maze would make an ideal hideout because of how rarely it is visited by travelers from the galaxy proper. _On the other hand,_ she thought, _they don’t call it a maze for nothing. If I send them in without backup and they get turned around somehow—_

“Incoming transmission from Naboo, General,” the communications officer reported, jerking Ahsoka from her deliberations.

Ahsoka turned to face the holoprojector at the rear of the bridge. “Patch it through.”

Master Tiin’s blue-tinted visage appeared out of the holoprojector.

“Our wiretap on Alderaan intercepted a communication between Organa and an unknown associate,” Tiin informed her. “The _Sundered Heart_ is due to rendezvous with a supply ship at 2100 GTC at the coordinates I’m about to transmit to you.”

Tiin turned and signaled to someone outside the holotransmitter’s pickup area to begin transmitting the coordinates.

“Coordinates received, General,” a voice called from the starboard crew pit.

Ahsoka turned back to address Tiin. “Do we know anything about the supply ship?”

Tiin shook his head. “We only have Organa’s end of the transmission. The return signal must have been routed through a different antenna.”

“So we have nothing that could potentially identify his associate?” Ahsoka asked.

“That’s correct,” Tiin replied.

“Alright, so where do we go from here?”

“I want you to assemble a six-ship task force to intercept them at the supply drop,” Tiin ordered. “I will be doing the same. Our task forces will rendezvous three parsecs due west of the target coordinates. At the staging point, we will perform final checks and make sure everyone’s synchronized before we jump in on the drop.”

Ahsoka nodded slowly, her mind already considering which ships she would want for her task force. “What time do you want me at the staging point?”

“2045. That gives us fifteen minutes to get everything in order. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must begin preparing my task force.”

“May the Force—” Ahsoka began, but before she could finish, Tiin’s hologram winked out of existence as the connection was terminated.

“I hate it when he does that,” she huffed.

“Sir, the _Solidarity_ is still awaiting your orders,” the communications officer reminded her.

“Have the _Solidarity_ return to Pantora. I want her in the task force to break up the supply drop.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Also contact _Integrity_, _Dauntless_, _Leveler_, and _Arrestor_ and have them return to Pantora as well,” Ahsoka ordered.

“Right away, sir.”

“Shall I plot a course back to Pantora, General?” the navigator inquired.

“Please do,” Ahsoka replied. “And what’s the current time?”

“1100 hours, sir,” came the response.

_Good,_ Ahsoka thought to herself, stroking her chin. _That should give me plenty of time to conduct a face-to-face briefing at Ground Base Pantora before we have to leave for the staging point._

* * *

Organa sat on a couch in the sitting room at Varykino, a hologram of the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting chamber projected on the table in front of him. Retrac sat to his right, taking notes on a datapad.

“Thank you for your report, Senator,” Senator Mothma, the committee chair, said to another member of the committee. “Any other business for today’s meeting?” When no one responded, she nodded slightly before continuing, “Very well, then. We stand adjourned.”

The senators and their aides began gathering up their things and preparing to leave. Mothma stepped down from her podium and made her way over to the holoprojector.

“Any leads on locating your people, Bail?” she asked.

Organa shook his head. “It just doesn’t add up. I’ve never known battle droids to be this clean.”

“You think it was a sentient strike team,” Mothma surmised.

“That’s what the physical evidence would seem to suggest,” Organa replied.

A confused expression crossed Mothma’s face. “But wait, didn’t Tano testify that the talks were overrun by battle droids?”

Organa nodded solemnly.

Mothma raised her eyebrows, cocking her head slightly as she did so. “So you think Tano is lying?” she said, her tone a mixture of surprise and skepticism.

“At this point, I don’t know what to think,” Organa admitted.

“So…is there anything I can do?” Mothma asked.

Organa ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Be very careful about who you trust, especially among the Jedi Order.”

Mothma was momentarily stunned. _“Especially among the Jedi Order?”_ she thought to herself. _We had talked of potentially involving the Jedi in our plans to control Palpatine’s power grabs. What is going on that he feels the need to reverse course?_

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Organa told her.

_Must be something he’s not comfortable discussing over subspace,_ Mothma thought.

“Anything else?” she asked aloud.

“Your discretion in this matter would be appreciated.”

Mothma nodded. “Take care of yourself, Bail.”

“You too, Mon,” Organa replied, leaning forward to terminate the communication.

Organa turned to Retrac. “You think I gave her enough?”

“Enough to figure out that we’re not working together with the Jedi toward a common purpose? Definitely,” Retrac stated. “Enough to figure out that the official explanation is a cover-up? Probably. Enough to figure out what’s really going on? Doubtful, unless you’ve already told her about Skywalker’s marriage.”

“What about enough to figure out that she should keep any suspicions to herself?” Organa asked.

“Definitely,” Retrac assured him.

A sharp rapping sound interrupted their conversation. They looked up to see Jannick standing in the doorway.

“Would the senator be offended if Queen Neeyutnee were to temporarily dispense with her ceremonial regalia?” he asked.

“Be my guest,” Organa replied with a wave of his hand. “Besides, what we’re doing out here isn’t exactly sanctioned by the Naboo government.”

“Ah, but it is,” Neeyutnee corrected, having appeared behind Jannick while Organa was speaking. “Officially, we’re out here so that you can inspect the conference site in search of any covert signal one of your people may have left behind that could provide a clue to their whereabouts.”

Although Jannick’s inquiry had prepared him somewhat, Organa still found himself startled by the changes in the young queen’s appearance. Her coal-black hair, which had previously been bound up as part of her royal headdress, fell loosely to her shoulder blades, and her face was devoid of the red-and-white markings that identified her as Naboo’s monarch. In place of the ornate royal gown she had been wearing when they arrived, she now wore a simple medium-grey dress that fell to her ankles.

Organa chuckled. “Well, I’m sure if the Royal Advisory Council knew what we were really doing out here—”

“They would commend us for defending the interests of Naboo’s senator against those who would see her name dragged through the swamps for following her heart,” Neeyutnee interrupted.

“Even at the risk of facing backlash from the Jedi for doing so?” Organa asked.

Neeyutnee burst out laughing. “You honestly think _that’s_ what we’re worried about here?”

“Do I think that’s what you personally are worried about? No,” Organa responded. “If it were, you wouldn’t be out here. Do I think there may be people in the Naboo government who are more concerned about keeping in the Republic’s good graces than they are about doing what’s right? Unfortunately, yes.”

“Well, every basket of shuura fruit’s always going to have a few bad ones,” Neeyutnee pointed out, “but on the whole, the Naboo government stands up for its own when it feels they’ve done nothing wrong, even if that isn’t always popular with the rest of the galaxy. Besides, Skywalker and Kenobi have saved this planet and its dignitaries from more Separatist plots than I can count. I think it’s high time we return the favor.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Organa said.

* * *

The captains of the six ships that composed Ahsoka’s half of the task force sat in a small semicircle at the front of the briefing room in the former Pantoran Defense Force command center. Their staff officers and a small contingent of clone troopers sat in rows behind them. A large holoscreen, currently inactive, took up most of the room’s front wall.

The door to the left of the holoscreen opened, revealing Ahsoka and Yularen. Ahsoka pressed a button on the small clicker she held in her right hand, activating the holoscreen, which displayed a map of the southeastern portion of the galaxy, with Pantora highlighted in bright blue.

“Alright, everyone,” Ahsoka began. “We’ve received intelligence that Skywalker and Kenobi are currently en route to rendezvous with a supply ship at these coordinates.”

A bright blue dot appeared on the map near Socorro. Ahsoka pressed the clicker again, and another blue dot appeared near the first one.

“We rendezvous with Master Tiin’s flotilla three parsecs due west of the target coordinates at 2045,” Ahsoka told them. “If our intelligence is correct, the supply drop is to occur at 2100.”

Another press of the clicker dismissed the map and brought up an image of the _Sundered Heart_.

“This is the target ship,” Ahsoka said. “The _Sundered Heart_. A heavily modified CR70 corvette flying Alderaanian colors. Our primary objective is to capture the _Sundered Heart_ intact and take Skywalker and Kenobi alive. Let me say that again: they must be taken alive. Allowing them to escape is preferable to killing them. Where are my boarding parties?”

The clone troopers raised their hands.

“There are two noncombatants on that ship. No harm is to come to them,” Ahsoka ordered.

“Yes, sir!” the clone troopers replied in unison.

“Our secondary objective, if the primary objective proves to be impracticable, is to prevent the supplies from being transferred to the _Sundered Heart_,” Ahsoka continued. “The personnel aboard the supply ship are to be treated as noncombatants.”

“Do we have any information about the supply ship?” asked the captain of the _Leveler_, Gilad Pellaeon.

Ahsoka shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. We only intercepted a partial transmission.”

The _Sundered Heart_ disappeared off the holoscreen and was replaced by a tactical map.

“I want this entire operation undertaken with ion cannons only,” Ahsoka ordered. “Anyone who so much as _thinks_ about powering turbolasers will answer to me personally. Is that clear?”

All of the assembled captains nodded.

“Good. Alright, so here’s the plan,” Ahsoka declared. “Master Tiin’s force will be the front line of the formation. We will be behind and above them. _Solidarity_ will be at the far left of the line, then _Arrestor_, _Integrity_, _Resolute_, _Leveler_, and _Dauntless_ at the far right. We disable the _Sundered Heart_ with massed ion-cannon fire.” Ahsoka pressed the clicker, and an animation of the battle plan began to play on the holoscreen. “Once the _Heart_ is disabled, _Arrestor_ and _Leveler_ will move to the front of the formation and launch their boarding craft.”

“What about the supply ship?” Captain Ralen of the _Solidarity_ asked.

“It’s a secondary target only,” Ahsoka replied. “If taking the _Heart_ turns out not to be feasible, we may target the supply ship only to the extent necessary to deny Skywalker and Kenobi the supplies it carries. However, the decision to switch to the secondary objective rests with Master Tiin and myself. Stick to the primary objective unless Master Tiin or I instruct you otherwise.”

“So wait,” Ralen said, holding up one hand to stop her. “If we’re able to capture the _Sundered Heart_, we’re just going to let the supply ship get away?”

Ahsoka paused, distractedly looking back at the holoscreen in thought. “I’ll make that decision once I see the supply ship. Once I’ve evaluated the situation, and again if I think a change in the situation warrants revising the objectives, you’ll hear one of three target instructions, or TARGINSTs for short. ‘TARGINST 1’ will mean we attempt to capture both the _Sundered Heart_ and the supply ship. ‘TARGINST 2’ will mean we attempt to capture the _Sundered Heart_ only. ‘TARGINST 3’ will mean we switch to the secondary objective. Any questions?”

After a brief silence, Ahsoka gave a stiff nod. “Very well, then. Head back to your ships and start preparing for departure. We leave for the staging point at 1930.”

As the assembled group gathered up their things and prepared to leave, Ahsoka made her way over to where the captains were seated, a pensive expression on her face. “Captain Pellaeon, could I speak to you privately for a moment?”

Pellaeon nodded. Ahsoka motioned for Pellaeon to follow her, and the two of them made their way into the office from which Ahsoka had entered at the start of the briefing.

“What I am about to tell you is to be kept between the two of us, understood?” Ahsoka asked once the door closed behind them.

“Yes, sir,” Pellaeon replied.

“Something just doesn’t feel right about this,” Ahsoka confided.

“Well, if you ask me, this whole thing seems a bit farfetched,” Pellaeon told her. “I mean, Skywalker and Kenobi turning their backs on the Order? Seriously?”

“The evidence is very clear, Captain,” Ahsoka assured him.

“If I may be frank, General, I still find it awfully hard to believe,” Pellaeon responded.

“So did I when I first found out,” Ahsoka admitted, “but as I said, the evidence is overwhelming. Besides, you’d think that if they were innocent, they’d have come willingly instead of going on the run.”

“That’s what this is about, isn’t it?” Pellaeon asked.

Ahsoka’s head snapped up to look him in the eye. “What?”

“You’re worried about what might happen if they don’t come willingly,” Pellaeon explained.

Ahsoka squinted at him in confusion. “Pardon?”

“The entire battle plan you laid out in there is predicated on the _Sundered Heart_ not firing back and, to a lesser extent, on Skywalker and Kenobi not engaging the boarding parties,” Pellaeon pointed out.

“They turned their backs on the Jedi, not the Republic,” Ahsoka reminded him. “They won’t fire on Republic vessels.”

“I admire your confidence, General,” Pellaeon replied. “Unfortunately, I’m not sure there’s much of a distinction to be made there.”

“Meaning what, exactly?”

“They may be Republic vessels, but they’re still being commanded by Jedi, and they’re still attempting to hunt down and capture Skywalker and Kenobi,” Pellaeon explained. “For the most part, you’ve handled this situation quite well, but you made one mistake.” His gaze hardened. “You let them realize that they would be shown no mercy if they chose to turn themselves in. You took away the last thing they had to lose. And as I’m sure Skywalker has taught you, there is no man more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose.” With each sentence, Pellaeon stepped towards Ahsoka, until they were almost nose-to-nose by the time he finished.

Ahsoka was beginning to lose patience. “Just what are you getting at with all this?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’ve obviously convinced yourself of your former colleagues’ strong moral fiber,” Pellaeon said, turning suddenly and strolling away from her at a leisurely pace. “What you’ve failed to account for is the fact that desperation changes people. I’ve seen it far more times than I care to recall.”

“Skywalker and Kenobi aren’t like most people.”

Pellaeon ignored her. “The Skywalker and Kenobi that are out there on that ship, whoever they are, are no longer the Skywalker and Kenobi you think you know; I can guarantee you that.” Just as suddenly, he turned back to face her. “If we get there and they fight back, can you put aside your personal feelings and give the order to fire turbolasers?”

“My orders are to bring them in alive,” Ahsoka replied evenly.

“Even if it means losing more of our men?”

Ahsoka looked him directly in the eye. “My orders,” she repeated, her tone of voice virtually unchanged, “are to bring them in _alive_.”

Pellaeon nodded stiffly, seeming to accept that her opinion on this point would not be swayed.

“And to get back to the original topic of this discussion, no, my ability to keep my personal feelings from getting in the way of my duty is not what’s concerning me,” Ahsoka told him.

“Then what is?” Pellaeon asked.

Ahsoka sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it…it just feels like I ought to be looking over my shoulder or something, you know?”

Pellaeon’s mouth twisted in concentration. “You suspect a leak?”

“I don’t think that’s it, but…” Ahsoka’s voice trailed off pensively. Reaching a decision, she declared, “I’m not going to take any chances. Contact Master Koon aboard the _Resilient_. Ask him to have a flotilla standing by in case we need reinforcements. And tell no one without my express permission.”

Pellaeon nodded slightly. “Yes, sir.”

As Pellaeon turned to leave, Ahsoka began to wonder, _What if he’s right? What if I am afraid they’ll shoot back?_ She sighed and sank into the nearest chair as the door closed behind Pellaeon’s retreating form.

* * *

The door to Anakin and Padmé’s sleeping quarters opened abruptly.

“Sabé? What are you doing here?” Padmé mumbled, looking up at her handmaiden with unfocused eyes.

“You haven’t left your bed since we bailed out of Varykino,” Sabé reminded her friend. “I’m worried about you, Padmé.”

“Ugh, I’m tired, I’m sick…Sabé, please just leave me alone,” Padmé groaned, rolling over to face away from the door and burying her head in a pillow.

“Why do you keep pushing me away?” Sabé asked accusingly.

Padmé began to snore softly.

“I know you’re not really asleep over there,” Sabé said, tapping her foot impatiently.

Padmé stopped pretending to snore but gave no response.

“I’m waiting,” Sabé told her in a singsong voice.

It was almost a minute later when Padmé finally admitted, “Habit, I guess.”

“What do you mean?” Sabé asked.

Padmé rolled onto her back. “When we were back on Coruscant,” she explained, “I knew that if you knew how much time I spent working on Senate business, you’d try to stop me—”

“And did it ever occur to you that maybe I was trying to look out for your best interests?” Sabé asked bitingly.

“The people needed me,” Padmé protested feebly. “They still do.”

“That may be so, but they don’t need you like this,” Sabé replied angrily. “You _stupid_ girl!” Sabé was on the verge of tears. “You’re _not_ invincible, you _can’t_ be everywhere, you _can’t_ help everyone, you _can’t_ keep _treating_ yourself like a _piece of trash_! _How_ long were you going to keep _lying_ to me, Padmé? If Anakin hadn’t come home, _how_ long were you going to keep _doing_ this to yourself? _Dammit_, Padmé, what if he hadn’t come home? What if I had lost you?”

By this time, Sabé had fallen to her knees at Padmé’s bedside, and her head was buried in Padmé’s chest as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Padmé pushed aside her shock at what she had just seen and pulled Sabé into an embrace, hoisting her handmaiden up onto the bed as she did so. “Oh, Sabé. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

For what seemed like hours but couldn’t have been more than a minute or two, they lay there in silence, drawing comfort and strength from each other’s presence.

Eventually, Sabé lifted her head to meet Padmé’s gaze. “I never told you, did I?”

“Told me what?” Padmé asked.

“My parents,” Sabé replied, her eyes welling with tears once more. “They died—during the Occupation.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Padmé said soothingly. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Sabé shrugged. “It never came up.”

“Oh, you poor baby,” Padmé murmured, gently rocking Sabé back and forth in her arms. “No one should have to go through that alone.”

“Padmé…you and Obi-Wan are all I have left. If I had lost you to your own stubbornness—” Sabé squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to keep from crying. “It would have destroyed me.”

Padmé hung her head sadly. “Sabé, I had no idea.”

“That people actually cared about you?” she asked incredulously. “Ever since—the Occupation—I’ve thought of you as the older sister I never had. Almost all the handmaidens feel the same way. Anakin loves you more than life itself. Obi-Wan considers you one of the few politicians he can stand, which is high praise coming from him. Never think you are alone. Never think you are unloved.”

“I don’t,” Padmé replied. “It’s just that there are so many people out there suffering because of this war, and I feel guilty about going home and being happy in my own little world when so many have had their homes and livelihoods destroyed by war.”

“You can’t feel like that, Padmé,” Sabé scolded gently. “Feel sorry for them, work to help them, but never begrudge yourself what you have. If you didn’t have all of those resources at your disposal, you wouldn’t be in a position to be able to help them.”

“But that’s exactly it,” Padmé objected. “I have all of these resources that I could be using to help, but if I instead choose to waste them on myself—”

“No, don’t think like that, Padmé,” Sabé interrupted. “It’s not a waste. If you’re hungry, you don’t have any less of a need for food just because someone else hasn’t eaten in three days.”

“But he needs it more than I do,” Padmé protested.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you still need food,” Sabé pointed out, rubbing her temple in frustration. “That’s not a waste. Constantly overeating like Orn Free Taa does is another story, but eating a reasonable amount of food when you feel hungry is not wasting food. Now, if you’ll let me finish, even if you have all of those resources, if you don’t start taking care of yourself and taking care of your body, you still won’t be able to help them.”

“I’m so sorry. Oh, Sabé, I’m so sorry,” Padmé warbled, her own composure now beginning to slip. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how I can make this up to you.”

Sabé placed a finger to Padmé’s lips. “Shh, it’s alright, sweetie. It’s alright. You don’t need to make up for anything. Just let me take care of you. Let Anakin take care of you. Let Dormé and Saché and the others take care of you. Let Obi-Wan take care of you if he wants. Just don’t shut us out. Don’t ever do that again, Padmé.”

“I won’t,” Padmé vowed. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Oh, Sabé, I’m so sorry. If only I had known—”

“It’s not your fault, sweetie,” Sabé told her reassuringly. “It’s not your fault. I should have said something earlier.”

“You didn’t know,” Padmé replied. “You couldn’t have known. I’m so sorry, Sabé.”

Sabé let her head drop back onto Padmé’s chest. “I love you anyway,” she murmured, closing her eyes and allowing sleep to claim her.

Being careful not to wake the other girl, Padmé rolled so that the two of them lay on their sides next to each other and pulled the covers from Anakin’s side of the bed up over Sabé so that they wrapped around her like a cocoon.

“Sleep tight, little sister,” she whispered, giving Sabé a tender kiss on the forehead before joining her in sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Anakin and Obi-Wan stared out the _Sundered Heart_’s bridge viewport into the blackness of space surrounding them.

“How long do you think we’ll have to hide out on Hoth before this whole thing blows over?” Obi-Wan asked idly.

“I don’t know,” Anakin replied. “What I’m hoping is that it’ll be long enough that we all have enough time to decompress, forget about the war for a while, and just enjoy each other’s company, but not so long that we start getting bored.”

“Quite frankly, I’m just hoping we aren’t found,” Obi-Wan responded.

A beep sounded from Obi-Wan’s console.

“Ship emerging from hyperspace,” he reported. After pressing a few buttons on the console, he added, “Transponder codes confirmed. It’s the _Envoy_.”

Anakin glanced at the chronometer. _2055\. They’re early,_ he thought to himself as he flicked the comm switch. “_Sundered Heart_ to _Stellar Envoy_. Prepare to initiate docking maneuvers. Where’s your docking ring?”

_“Starboard side, just aft of the cockpit. There’s another in mirror position on the port side, but starboard is closer to the cargo holds.”_

“Copy that, _Stellar Envoy_. Hold position; I’ll come to you.”

The next few minutes passed in silence as Anakin maneuvered the _Sundered Heart_ alongside the _Stellar Envoy_ and carefully brought their docking rings together.

“Docking complete,” he announced over the comm. “I’ll meet you at the airlock and we’ll start transferring the supplies.”

The sensor panel beeped several times in rapid succession.

_“Uh-oh. We got company, General.”_

“Change of plans. It’ll be faster if we just switch ships.”

_“You got it, General.”_

* * *

Ahsoka stood at the forward end of the _Resolute_’s bridge looking out at the two ships hanging in space before them.

“That’s the _Sundered Heart_ alright,” the sensor officer informed her. “Looks like they’ve docked with the supply ship. They’re probably in the middle of the transfer as we speak.”

“Do we have a read on the supply ship?” Ahsoka asked.

“Yes, sir,” the sensor officer replied. “The _Stellar Envoy_. It’s a YT-1300 light freighter registered to the Republic Group.”

_The Republic Group?_ Ahsoka thought to herself. _How are they mixed up in all this?_ Aloud, she ordered, “Signal TARGINST 1 to the fleet. Weps, bring ion cannons to full power. You may fire when ready.”

“Aye, sir,” the weapons officer responded.

* * *

Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Sabé met Jadak and Duurmun in the docking rings that served as the temporary connection between their two ships.

“The _Envoy_ carries two quad laser cannons: one dorsal, one ventral,” Jadak told them. “They can be operated by turret gunners or remotely from the cockpit.”

Anakin nodded. “Copy that, Captain. We’ll try to bring her back in one piece. No guarantees, unfortunately.”

“Comes with the territory,” Duurmun replied. “Where should we take the _Heart_?”

“Head for the Gordian Reach and find somewhere to lay low until this thing blows over,” Obi-Wan instructed.

Duurmun nodded. “Copy that, General.”

“Padmé, Sabé, man the turrets. Obi-Wan, you’re with me in the cockpit,” Anakin said as the four of them stepped into the _Stellar Envoy_’s main corridor.

* * *

“The _Heart_ and the _Envoy_ are undocking, General,” the sensor officer informed Ahsoka.

_I wonder how much of their supply shipment they were able to transfer before we interrupted them, _Ahsoka thought to herself.

“Signal our half of the fleet,” she instructed aloud. “_Solidarity_, _Integrity_, and _Arrestor_ will take the _Envoy_; _Resolute_, _Dauntless_, and _Leveler_ will take the _Sundered Heart_.”

“General, the _Valiant_ is charging its main turbolaser batteries,” the sensor officer reported nervously.

“What?” Ahsoka asked in disbelief.

“The _Valiant_ is preparing to open fire on the _Sundered Heart_,” came the reply.

“Main engines ahead one-third. Helm: plot a course to interpose us between the _Valiant_ and the _Sundered Heart_,” Ahsoka ordered. “And get me a channel to the _Valiant_.”

“The _Impavid_ is now also charging its main turbolaser batteries,” the sensor officer announced.

“Master Tiin’s flagship…” Ahsoka murmured to herself in horrified realization. The _Valiant_ charging its turbolasers she could dismiss as the actions of an overzealous captain, but not the _Impavid_. That could only mean one thing.

“All ahead flank. Signal our half of the fleet to move to the front of the formation,” she directed.

“Ships emerging from hyperspace, General!” the sensor officer shouted urgently. “It’s a Separatist battle group!”

“Order all units to abort the mission and fall back to the staging point!”

“No go, General,” the navigator reported grimly. “They’ve got an interdictor with them. It just powered up its gravity well generators.”

Swearing under her breath, Ahsoka turned and strode down the command walkway toward the aft bridge turbolift, barking orders as she did so. “Engines all stop. Main turbolasers to full power. Scramble all fighters. Admiral Yularen, you have the deck.”

Yularen nodded in acknowledgement as Ahsoka stepped into the turbolift that would take her to the hangar deck.

* * *

“A Separatist fleet just dropped out of hyperspace,” Obi-Wan remarked as he sat down at the copilot’s station in the _Sundered Heart_’s cockpit.

“Popular place,” Anakin quipped.

“Indeed,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Let’s get out of here while the Republic forces are distracted.”

Anakin frowned. “No such luck, Master. The Seps must have an interdictor with them.”

Obi-Wan sighed in resignation. “We’ll have to fight our way out, then.”

“Looks that way, Master,” Anakin replied.

_“Dorsal turret, checking in,”_ Sabé’s voice filtered through the cockpit intercom.

_“Ventral turret, checking in,”_ Padmé said. _“Ani, are you sure this rattletrap can get us out of here?”_

“She may not look like much, but she’s got a lot under the hood,” Anakin assured her. “This thing handles almost as well as my starfighter.”

_“Just as long as what’s under the hood doesn’t shake the rest apart,”_ Padmé replied uneasily.

Anakin raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Angel, if I had any doubts at all about this thing’s ability to stay in one piece, I wouldn’t have brought you aboard. Now stop worrying and start shooting vulture droids.”

* * *

Ahsoka climbed into the cockpit of her Delta-7B interceptor and donned her communications headset.

“Alright, what are we looking at?” she asked.

_“Well, the interdictor appears to be built on a _Providence_ chassis, and I’d be willing to bet it’s also the flagship,”_ Yularen’s voice sounded in her right ear.

“What about the rest of the fleet?”

_“Nine standard _Providence_s, fifteen _Recusant_s, and twenty _Munificent_s,”_ Yularen told her.

Ahsoka grunted. “So on a scale from one to ‘completely kriffed,’ how bad are we talking?”

_“Well, the _Providence_s by themselves are about an even match for our forces, so I’d say we’ve got about fifteen minutes to knock the interdictor out of commission if we want to have any significant fraction of our forces make it out alive,”_ Yularen replied.

“Understood,” Ahsoka said. Switching to intercom mode, she asked, “We ready to go, Arseven?”

Ahsoka’s astromech droid, R7-A7, burbled back an affirmative from his position directly in front of the cockpit.

Ahsoka eased open the throttle and pulled back on the control stick. Once she was clear of the hangar bay, she raised the landing gear and switched to a private frequency.

“Tano to Pellaeon. We need to set up an encirclement and try to negate the Separatists’ maneuver advantage as much as possible. Signal Master Koon’s force to join the battle. I want them to arrive in the Separatist rear. Inbound vector…265 by three.”

“Inbound Koon’s force on vector 265 by three, wilco. Pellaeon out.”

Ahsoka switched to the general frequency. “Tano to all units. Maintain formation. I don’t want ships getting isolated and picked off one by one. Start launching fighters from both sets of bay doors.”

_“Belay that,”_ Tiin broke in. _“We’re outgunned two to one here. I don’t want to overcommit to this engagement.”_

“We need to get as many fighters in the air as quickly as possible to tie up their vulture droids so we don’t have to use our main batteries for point-defense,” Ahsoka shot back.

_“An interdictor with its gravity well generators active is _not_ a particularly fast or maneuverable vessel,”_ came the annoyed voice of Tiin’s second-in-command, Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin. _“Our safest course of action is to make a run for the edge of the interdiction field and jump to lightspeed.”_

“We cannot let this interdictor get away,” Ahsoka argued. “As far as we know, it is the only one in the Separatist fleet. We have an opportunity to destroy or inflict serious damage on it, and we don’t know when we might get another opportunity. We need to get this thing now while we have the chance.”

_“Your opinion is appreciated,”_ Tiin responded evenly. _“However, I am in overall command here, and it is my assessment that we do not have the necessary firepower to undertake your proposed course of action.”_

Before Ahsoka could reply, she caught sight of Koon’s nine Star Destroyers dropping out of hyperspace in the rear of the Separatist formation.

“We do now,” she declared, a predatory grin spreading across her face. “Concentrate all fire on that interdictor.”

Both sets of Republic fleets unleashed a barrage of turbolaser fire against the interdictor. Its shields flared blue in response.

_“We won’t be able to keep this up for very long without exposing ourselves to fire from the rest of the Separatist fleet,”_ Yularen warned.

“I’m hoping it won’t take very long,” Ahsoka replied.

_“The other Separatist ships are moving to obstruct our firing lanes,”_ Admiral Wieler reported from the _Resilient_.

“Understood,” Ahsoka responded. “Keep up the bombardment as long as you can and then let’s start setting up an encirclement. We need to minimize the Seps’ maneuverability advantage. If you get a shot at the interdictor, take it; otherwise engage at will. _Arrestor_, _Leveler_, move into torpedo range.”

_“Copy that, General,”_ the captains of the two _Acclamator_-class assault ships acknowledged.

“Aurek Flotilla,” Ahsoka said, addressing Tiin’s half of the fleet, “I don’t see you launching fighters yet. Let’s get on that.”

* * *

On the bridge of the _Impavid_, Tarkin turned and whispered in Tiin’s ear, “I thought you were in overall command here, sir.”

“I am, but she makes a valid point,” Tiin replied. “Since Master Koon and his fleet responded to our distress call as quickly as they did, we have sufficient forces to launch a counterattack.”

“Will you be manning your starfighter, sir?” Tarkin asked.

Tiin nodded. “Remember the mission, Admiral. If you can line up a shot on the renegades or their supply ship, take it.”

“Yes, sir,” Tarkin replied, taking a step towards the forward viewport as Tiin turned to leave for the hangar deck. Turning to the _Impavid_’s captain, he declared, “Now, we tighten the noose. Signal the fleet. Have all ships close to torpedo range.”

_“Belay that,” _Ahsoka’s voice crackled over the bridge speakers. _“We may be about equal on firepower, but they still have a greater number of ships. If we try to close the pocket, we increase their chances of a breakout.”_

“You said yourself, General, that we are not seeking a decisive engagement,” Tarkin protested. “Our objective, as I understand it, is to destroy the interdictor and then fall back.”

_“Yes, but once they get an initial breakout, those ships can start attacking us from behind to further weaken our encirclement, allowing more ships to break out—”_ Ahsoka explained.

“And with every ship that breaks out, if any do succeed in breaking out, they have fewer ships that they can interpose between our forces and the interdictor,” Tarkin countered.

_“This is not up for debate, Admiral,”_ Ahsoka told him.

* * *

“Orange Squadron: form up on me,” Ahsoka ordered, arming her interceptor’s laser cannons and firing a quick burst at a passing vulture droid to dial in the range.

_“Copy that, General,”_ Orange Leader acknowledged from the cockpit of his ARC-170.

“Blue Squadron, Black Squadron, Green Squadron: fly escort,” Ahsoka continued. “We’re making a run on the interdictor. Target the aft gravity well generator—and if you’ve got enough ordnance left over, hit the bridge on your way out. V-wings, when we get to the target, hit it with your laser cannons to soften up their shields.”

By the time she had finished speaking, the formation had assembled with Orange Squadron and Ahsoka’s interceptor at the center surrounded by the three V-wing squadrons.

_“Black Leader. All squadrons report ready, General.”_

“Accelerate to attack speed,” Ahsoka replied.

_“Green Leader to formation. Separatist frigate moving to intercept, bearing 53 by 37.”_

“Understood. _Arrestor_, can you clear them out of there?” Ahsoka asked.

_“We’re on it, General,”_ _Arrestor_’s captain responded.

“Formation: 15 degrees to port,” Ahsoka instructed. “We’ll use _Arrestor_ for cover until we’re clear of that frigate.”

_“Uh-oh. Vultures and hyena droids inbound. Bearing 227 by 11.”_

“_Arrestor_, they’re gonna try to get a shot at your engine bank!” Ahsoka realized. “Turn off and deal with ‘em. We’ll evade the frigate.”

_“Copy that. Thanks for the heads-up, General. They’d have been in a blind spot for our point-defense lasers.”_

“Anytime, _Arrestor_,” Ahsoka replied. “Formation, new heading. 124 by minus 18.”

* * *

“I have a firing solution on the supply ship, sir,” the _Impavid_’s weapons officer reported.

“Set turbolasers to maximum yield and fire when ready,” Tarkin ordered.

* * *

Padmé lined up a vulture droid in her sights and squeezed the trigger. As the laser bursts found their mark, she let out a war whoop over the intercom.

“That’s six!” she told Sabé giddily. When the Separatist fleet arrived, the two of them had started a friendly competition to see which of them could shoot down more vulture droids.

_“Six…and sev—”_

Padmé was slammed back into her seat as Anakin threw the ship into a sharp turn. When the ship stabilized, Padmé realized in sudden horror that Sabé’s voice had been cut off and replaced by static.

“Sabé?” she asked, a sense of dread building in the pit of her stomach. “_Sabé!_”

Padmé ripped off her headset, slamming it to the deck in frustration, and scrambled up the ladder connecting the two turrets and the main deck. The first thing she noticed when she reached the dorsal turret was the blast shield that had closed over the viewport to prevent the atmosphere from venting. The gunner’s chair had been ripped free from the deck and thrown against the forward bulkhead. A large, twisted piece of metal that Padmé assumed had been part of the laser cannon itself sat in the center of the turret where the chair should have been. The deck was littered with smaller pieces of metal and bits of shattered transparisteel.

When Padmé’s eyes landed on Sabé, she had to suppress the urge to vomit.

Sabé was laying on her side with a half-meter shard of transparisteel protruding from her lower abdomen. Her long brown hair, straight in contrast to Padmé’s curls, was stained a deep red by blood oozing from her right ear where the smashed remains of her headset had been embedded into the side of her skull. A massive gouge had been taken out of her left arm, exposing the raw bone, and her right leg was bent backwards at an angle that reminded Padmé of a pelikki’s. The large piece of metal in the center of the room, Padmé now realized, had landed on Sabé’s feet and ankles, crushing them.

Grabbing the spare headset, which had thankfully survived the carnage, Padmé yanked the wire for Sabé’s headset out of its receptacle and replaced it with her own, fingers fumbling as she frantically jammed the jack home.

“Obi-Wan, if you can hear me, you need to get up here _now_,” she said, her voice eerily calm.

* * *

“Multiple direct hits, Admiral,” the _Impavid_’s weapons officer reported.

“Target destroyed?” Tarkin asked.

“Negative, sir,” the weapons officer informed him. “Either we’ve got a turbolaser malfunction—unlikely—or that freighter’s shield output is _far_ higher than is legal for a civilian vessel.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Tarkin commented. “Continue to track the deserters and their supply ship. If we line up either one, hit it with everything that will bear.”

* * *

The first thing Obi-Wan noticed when he reached the dorsal turret was the blood. Sabé was covered in it. Fearing the worst, he reached out with the Force and found that she was alive but fading fast.

_What’s going on up there, Master?_ Anakin spoke to him through their bond.

_The dorsal turret’s taken a direct hit,_ Obi-Wan replied. _Sabé’s critically injured._

_Alright, listen. That blast shield may be holding in the atmosphere for now, but if I try to go to hyperspace with just that thing, we’re all dead,_ Anakin explained. _I need you to get out of that turret so I can drop the emergency bulkheads in place to seal the turret off from the rest of the ship._

_Got it,_ Obi-Wan responded. Addressing Padmé, he said aloud, “We need to get her down onto the main deck so Anakin can seal off the turret.”

“That big piece of metal is pinning her legs,” Padmé told him, pointing at it.

Using the Force, Obi-Wan lifted the piece of metal and tossed it against the aft bulkhead with somewhat more force than was necessary. As he bent down to pick Sabé up around the waist, he felt Padmé grab his arm, stopping him.

“Not like that,” Padmé said. “We need to be very careful about how we do this in case she has a neck injury. I need something flat that we can use to brace her neck so it doesn’t flop around when we move her.”

“I can use the Force to immobilize her,” Obi-Wan suggested.

Padmé nodded. “Do that.”

“You go first,” Obi-Wan instructed. “I’ll lower Sabé down and then follow.”

“I’ll go look to see if we have any medical supplies aboard,” Padmé told him.

“I’m going to take her to the forward crew quarters,” Obi-Wan replied. “If you find anything, bring it there.”

* * *

“Fly right up to their hull!” Ahsoka ordered her formation as they began their dive beneath the Separatist frigate. “We need to be too close for their point-defense lasers to track us!”

_“Copy that, General.”_

As they neared the frigate, Ahsoka took aim with her interceptor’s laser cannons and fired a burst at the frigate’s sensor arrays before diving to pass just below the frigate’s ventral hull.

“Everyone still with us?” she asked once the formation had cleared the frigate. Upon receiving affirmative responses, she continued, “Good. Resume course for the interdictor.”

_“Uh-oh. Tri-fighters inbound, bearing 307 by 26.”_

“What’s the matter, Blue Leader, did you think they were gonna make this easy for us?” Ahsoka asked. “C’mon, let’s blow these clankers into space dust.”

About half of the V-wings broke off towards the incoming tri-fighter squadron, while the other half shifted into a screening position, ready to intercept any tri-fighters that made it past the first half. Ahsoka’s interceptor and the ARC-170s of Orange Squadron remained on course toward the interdictor.

“One minute to target,” Ahsoka signaled.

_“Orange Four to Orange Leader. I’ve just been locked onto.”_

_“Blue Three to Orange Squadron. You got discord missiles incoming.”_

_“Orange Leader to Orange Squadron. All tail gunners, ready your laser cannons.”_

_“Orange Nine to Orange Leader. Separatist destroyer turning in on us, bearing 125 by minus six.”_

“_Arrestor_, have you got those hyena droids off your back yet?” Ahsoka asked.

_“Affirmative, General. You need a hand over there?”_

“Yeah, we got a Separatist destroyer moving in on us,” Ahsoka reported. “Distract it, would you?”

_“Wilco, General. _Arrestor_ out.”_

“Tano to formation. Thirty seconds to target.”

_“Orange Leader to Orange Squadron. Arm proton torpedoes. Lock in targeting computers.”_

_“Orange Eight to Orange Leader. I’ve got buzz droids on me!”_

_“Punch out, Orange Eight!”_ Orange Leader ordered.

Working quickly, Orange Eight nosed up out of the formation and pulled the ejection handle in the cockpit ceiling, sending the crew capsule rocketing out of the spaceframe as the buzz droids continued to sabotage the fighter’s engines.

Meanwhile, having disposed of the Separatist destroyer, _Arrestor_ turned toward the interdictor to draw its fire away from the incoming fighters of Orange Squadron.

“Ten seconds,” Ahsoka called out.

Glancing down at the chronometer on her instrument panel, Ahsoka silently counted off the final seconds. When she reached the release point, she fired off a series of laser bursts, first at the large dome of the gravity well generator and then at the interdictor’s bridge.

Shortly after Orange Squadron completed its attack run, she noticed a large explosion appear on her sensors. Under fire from both _Arrestor_ and _Dauntless_ in addition to the attack by Orange Squadron, the interdictor’s shields had crumbled, and it was now taking heavy damage. A well-placed turbolaser strike engulfed the whole ship in a ball of flame. “Tano to all units. Interdictor has been destroyed. Recover your fighters and fall back to the staging point.”

As she turned off to head back to the _Resolute_, she noticed the _Stellar Envoy_ jump to hyperspace. With a start, she realized that she could no longer sense her master’s presence in the Force. _So,_ she thought to herself, _they didn’t transfer any of the supplies. They just transferred themselves. Sneaky._

* * *

Padmé opened the door to the forward crew quarters carrying a small medpac.

“Anything?” Obi-Wan asked, not looking up from where he had placed Sabé’s prone form on the bed.

“Just a few bacta patches and some pain meds,” Padmé told him.

Obi-Wan sighed. “I was afraid it would come to this.”

Padmé eyed the back of his head in confusion. “Come to what?”

“I’m…familiar with the rudiments of Force healing, but…” Obi-Wan’s voice trailed off apprehensively. “I’ve never attempted to use it on injuries this severe before.”

“You have to try, Obi-Wan,” Padmé implored. “It may be her only chance.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Obi-Wan snapped, finally meeting her eyes.

Padmé felt her mouth drop open in shock. Obi-Wan’s expression remained impassive.

“Why don’t you go see if Anakin needs any assistance up in the cockpit?” he suggested, his tone of voice discouraging argument.

“She’s my friend too, Obi-Wan!” Padmé shot back, her voice raw with emotion.

“Padmé, I cannot afford to have any distractions at all while I attempt to do this!” Obi-Wan explained. “Even your presence…”

Involuntarily, Padmé felt her fingers curling at her sides. She remained in the doorway glaring at him for several seconds—just long enough for him to get the message—then turned and stomped down the corridor until she reached the cockpit.

“You need any help up here, Ani?” she asked pleasantly.

“No, I’m good,” Anakin replied. “Actually, I was just about to put it on autopilot and go scout out the crew quarters.”

“We’re in the aft crew quarters,” Padmé told him quickly.

Anakin regarded her for a moment. “Everything alright, Angel?”

Padmé bit her lip nervously.

“Oh, no,” Anakin breathed, his eyes falling shut as realization dawned. “Sabé didn’t make it, did she?”

Padmé shook her head quickly. “Obi-Wan’s trying to heal her with the Force, but—he _yelled_ at me, Ani.”

Anakin blinked several times in disbelief, holding up a hand to stop her. “He did _what?_”

“He was saying that he’d never attempted to use Force healing on injuries as severe as Sabé’s, I replied that we didn’t really have any other options, and he just…bit my head off,” she recounted. “He started yelling about already knowing that, and then he kicked me out!”

“He’s probably just stressed, Angel,” Anakin responded. “I know if it had been you, I would be completely losing my mind.”

“Yeah, but he acts like he’s the only one who’s allowed to be worried about her! He’s been seeing her for—what, two years?” Padmé scoffed. “I’ve known Sabé _half my life!_ And he has the audacity to try and tell me—”

“Padmé,” Anakin began, placing his hands on her shoulders.

“Don’t you ‘Padmé’ me, mister!” she shouted, pushing his arms away.

Anakin grabbed her by the shoulders once more and spun her around to face him. “Look at me,” he ordered, carefully emphasizing each word. “Force healing is a very complicated technique. It requires the practitioner’s complete concentration to be on the patient they are trying to heal. Any distraction at all, especially for someone like Obi-Wan who doesn’t specialize in Force healing, and the technique could wind up doing more harm than good. Do you want Sabé to be able to recover from her injuries?”

“Of course I do. What kind of a question is that?”

“Then you need to get out of Obi-Wan’s way so he can have his complete focus on healing Sabé’s injuries,” Anakin told her.

With a heavy sigh, Padmé sank into the nearest chair. “I just feel so helpless, Ani. She’s in there dying, and I can’t do anything to help her.”

“Yes, you can,” Anakin replied. “Force healing can do a lot of incredible things, but it’s not an instant fix. Once she wakes up, she’ll still need to recuperate, and she’ll need your help and support to be able to do so.”

Padmé looked up at him fearfully. “But what if she doesn’t wake up?”

Anakin didn’t have an answer for her.

* * *

“A Separatist fleet does not just randomly show up at a random point in deep space where a Republic task force just so happens to be conducting an operation,” Tiin declared. “_Someone_ tipped them off. Do I recall you saying you conducted your briefing at Ground Base Pantora?”

Ahsoka nodded to the holoprojection before her. “That’s correct.”

“Sweep every inch of that facility for listening devices,” Tiin ordered. “And run a full background on anyone who was at that briefing. If they so much as used a different ‘fresher than the one they normally use, I want to know about it.”

“I assume you’ll be conducting the same level of background on everyone who was at your briefing?” Ahsoka asked.

Tiin nodded. “I want to know exactly how the Separatists got wind of this op.”

“Yes, Master,” Ahsoka replied.

As the hologram faded out of existence, Ahsoka turned and addressed the _Resolute_’s communications officer. “Message to all ships. I want all after-action reports filed within the hour, and I want a copy of all sensor and communications logs included with the after-action reports. I also need all ships and Ground Base Pantora to conduct a full sweep for covert surveillance devices.”

“Yes, sir,” the communications officer acknowledged.

Ahsoka turned to Yularen. “Admiral, I will be taking a small contingent of clone troopers aboard the _Twilight_ and placing it on detached duty. I want you to take command of the fleet and resume our previous search patterns.”

Yularen nodded. “If I may ask, General, what will the _Twilight_ be doing?”

“I’m going to see if I can pinpoint the origin of that freighter,” Ahsoka explained. “Apparently they’ve decided to make their hideout in deep space.”

“If we can cut off their supply chain, eventually they’ll be forced to come up for air,” Yularen reasoned.

“Exactly,” Ahsoka confirmed.

“When will you be departing?” Yularen asked.

Ahsoka glanced at the chronometer display on the nearby control panel. “Two hours from now.”

Turning to face the starboard crew pit, she continued, “Navigation: extrapolate possible destinations for that freighter based on its escape vector and upload the list to the _Twilight_’s computer.”

Ahsoka turned and made her way to the aft bridge turbolift. Once inside, she whipped out her comlink. “Rex: meet me on the observation deck in five.”

* * *

“You wanted to see me, sir?” Rex asked, removing his helmet and placing it on the sill.

Ahsoka nodded. “Tiin’s half of the fleet began charging its turbolasers far too early to have been doing so in response to the arrival of the Separatist forces.”

“You think they were going to blow the _Sundered Heart_ out of the sky,” Rex said in astonishment.

“I know they were,” Ahsoka replied, her voice grim.

“If I may,” Rex put in, “you said yourself that they committed desertion. In time of war, that’s a capital offense.”

“Even so, they have to be tried, convicted, and executed, not blown out of the sky like common pirates,” Ahsoka countered. “Even if the evidence is clear, that doesn’t give Windu the right to pass summary judgment!”

“What makes you so sure it was Windu who gave the shoot-to-kill order?” Rex asked.

“Because Senator Amidala and her handmaiden are also on that ship,” Ahsoka explained. “Tiin may be a hardliner when it comes to Jedi who violate the Code, but he also respects the limits of Jedi authority. The Order has no jurisdiction over Amidala and her handmaiden, and we certainly don’t have the authority to destroy an Alderaanian diplomatic vessel.”

“It forfeited its diplomatic immunity by taking part in illegal activity,” Rex pointed out.

“Even so, it displayed no hostile intent,” Ahsoka responded.

“Okay, let’s say you’re right,” Rex said. “Let’s say Windu did order the _Sundered Heart_’s destruction. Why?”

“Because a trial—whether a court-martial for desertion or a Jedi hearing before the High Council—would give Skywalker and Kenobi the opportunity to speak in their own defense,” Ahsoka explained. “Windu doesn’t want anyone to realize that they make a valid point. If he allows them to speak in their own defense, he’s giving them a chance to win over the moderates on the High Council.”

“But why do it by blowing up the _Sundered Heart_ instead of taking the ship intact and then summarily executing Skywalker and Kenobi?” Rex countered. “This way, he angers the Naboo by killing their senator, and he angers the Alderaanians by destroying their ship.”

“Amidala’s only usefulness to Windu was as a pro-Jedi senator,” Ahsoka replied. “With recent events having turned her against the Jedi—or, rather, against the Order’s current leadership—she becomes a liability. If even Padmé Amidala, one of the Order’s staunchest supporters in the Senate, turns her back on them, what reason does any other senator have to stand behind the Jedi? By silencing her before she can make her change of opinion public, Windu hopes to preserve whatever support the Order still has—and the best part for him is that the Separatists get chucked under the speeder for the whole affair.”

“Except that the only reason Senator Organa hasn’t gone public with the truth yet is because it would hinder his ability to continue aiding the _Sundered Heart_ in evading capture,” Rex pointed out. “Destroying the _Sundered Heart_ allows Organa to air the Order’s dirty laundry in the press.”

“Well, that’s the beauty of it,” Ahsoka said. “In destroying the _Sundered Heart_, Windu also destroys any hard evidence that could back up Organa’s claims. It would devolve into ‘he said, he said,’ and I’ve found that, all else being equal, people tend to believe the first version of events they hear, which will be Windu’s claim that the _Sundered Heart_ was destroyed by Separatist forces.”

“What about the fact that the real Senator Amidala is nowhere to be found?” Rex countered. “That would tend to support Organa’s story.”

“I can think of any number of ways in which he could set the Separatists up to take the fall for Amidala’s death,” Ahsoka told him.

Rex sighed, pressing two fingers to his temple. “This is really happening, isn’t it?”

Ahsoka nodded sadly. “I’m afraid so.”

“Alright, so how do we stop it?” Rex asked.

“We have to find them before Tiin’s forces do,” Ahsoka replied. “I want you, Jesse, and Fives to meet me on the _Twilight_ in ninety minutes. I’ll explain my plan for finding them then.”

“Yes, General,” Rex acknowledged. “If that will be all?”

“Make sure Fives and Jesse get the message—and one more thing, Rex,” Ahsoka responded. “That’s _Commander_ Tano.”

Rex nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting into the slightest of smiles. “Yes, sir.”


	16. Chapter 16

Ahsoka entered the _Resolute_’s hangar bay carrying a box of datatapes. Artoo trailed behind her, beeping animatedly.

“I know, little buddy,” Ahsoka replied.

When she made her way over to the _Twilight_, she found Rex, Jesse, and Fives waiting for her at the base of the boarding ramp.

“I need you to conduct a full sweep of this ship inside and out for any sort of covert surveillance devices,” Ahsoka ordered them. “That means listening devices, recording devices, tracking devices, anything that could be used by someone not on the ship to monitor our actions.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison.

Fives, Ahsoka, and Artoo made their way up the boarding ramp to begin sweeping the interior while Rex and Jesse began inspecting the exterior.

“If I may, General, what’s all this about?” Fives asked.

“I’ll tell you once I’m certain we’re not being monitored,” Ahsoka replied, setting the box of datatapes on the floor next to where Artoo had plugged into the _Twilight_’s computer.

It took the five of them about ten minutes to complete the sweep.

“All clear,” Jesse reported once he and Rex finished checking the exterior.

Ahsoka motioned for them to come aboard, then made her way up to the cockpit, raised the boarding ramp, and started the freighter’s engines.

“_Twilight_ to Flight Control. Request clearance for departure.”

_“Flight Control to _Twilight_. Departure clearance granted.”_

The ventral hangar bay doors opened, allowing Ahsoka to guide the _Twilight_ out into space. She turned control over to the autopilot and made her way back into the cabin, where Rex, Jesse, and Fives were seated against one wall.

“Okay, now that we know we’re not being eavesdropped on, what’s all this about?” Fives asked.

“A rather disturbing realization I came to during our attempt to ambush the supply transfer to the _Sundered Heart_,” Ahsoka replied. Removing a datatape from the box, she slid it into Artoo’s reader slot. The droid’s holoprojector activated. “These are the _Resolute_’s sensor tapes from that operation. Here you can see the _Sundered Heart_, the _Stellar Envoy_—that’s the freighter that delivered their supplies—and the twelve ships that made up the Republic task force.”

Next to each ship was a combination of icons and Aurebesh text indicating status information about that particular ship. Ahsoka nodded to Artoo, and the recreation began to play.

“Now, stop it here,” Ahsoka said when one of the status icons changed.

Rex, Jesse, and Fives leaned in to look at the changed icon.

“That ship just started charging its main turbolaser batteries,” Fives said. Turning to Ahsoka, he continued, “I thought the plan was to disable the ship with ion cannons and then board it.”

“The _Impavid_,” Jesse said, reading the ship’s name. “That was General Tiin’s flagship, wasn’t it?”

Ahsoka nodded gravely. “And as we go ahead and let this roll, you’ll notice that only _now_ are we getting a return on the hyperwave scanner, and only _now_ can the arriving vessels be identified as a Separatist fleet.”

“Son of a gundark,” Fives muttered under his breath.

Ahsoka removed the datatape from Artoo’s reader slot and placed it back in the box with the rest of the datatapes. “Conclusion?”

“They were gonna blow it up,” Fives replied in disbelief.

“Further conclusion?”

Rex voiced what all three clones were thinking. “Windu wants to silence them. Permanently.”

Ahsoka sighed. “It certainly looks that way.”

“Permission to speak freely, Commander?” Jesse requested.

Ahsoka nodded. “Granted.”

“This whole time, you’ve been calling for them to be tried for desertion, which is a capital offense in time of war. What difference does it make to you whether they go down with the ship or get captured and then executed?”

“Firstly, if Windu’s forces blow up the ship, they’re also killing Senator Amidala and her handmaiden, who have done nothing wrong, and they are destroying an Alderaanian diplomatic vessel,” Ahsoka explained. “Secondly, when I turned them in, I did so because I felt that they were shirking their duties as Jedi and that they needed to face the consequences of their actions. What I now realize is that Windu is using the information I gave him as a convenient excuse to eliminate his ideological opposition in the Order.”

“So what exactly are you proposing?” Jesse asked.

“We find Skyguy and Master Kenobi and enlist their help in arresting Windu for abuse of authority,” Ahsoka replied.

Fives raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And what makes you think they’ll go along with this?”

“Because I’m prepared to grant full immunity in exchange for their assistance,” Ahsoka told him.

Fives nodded slowly, considering this for a moment. “Alright, so how do we find them, and more importantly, how do we keep Windu’s forces from finding them?”

“Luckily, we know something they don’t,” Ahsoka responded. “That wasn’t a supply transfer. It was a personnel transfer.”

“So the generals are now aboard the _Stellar Envoy_?” Rex asked.

“That’s right,” Ahsoka confirmed.

“And the rest of the search forces don’t know that?”

“Also correct.”

“So if Windu does manage to locate the _Sundered Heart_, all he’ll find is the _Stellar Envoy_’s pilots,” Jesse said.

“More likely, he’ll just blow it up, declare mission accomplished, and feed the public a line about the Seps having self-destructed the ship to prevent its capture,” Ahsoka replied.

“Well, that answers how we’re going to keep Windu from finding them, but how exactly are _we_ going to find them?” Fives asked.

Ahsoka nodded to Artoo, who brought up a map of the galaxy on his holoprojector. “Before we left, I had the _Resolute_’s navigation department calculate the _Envoy_’s escape vector and put together a list of possible destinations based on that.”

“You’re assuming they won’t use multiple jumps to disguise their trail,” Rex pointed out.

“It’s better than nothing,” Ahsoka responded.

At Ahsoka’s signal, Artoo overlaid an arrow on the map that indicated the direction in which the _Stellar Envoy_ had departed. All four of them leaned in to examine the planets near the line.

“Trigalis is a possibility,” Fives suggested. “Also Darkknell. Possibly Arbra. I suppose maybe Sullust if they were desperate or low on fuel, but that’s a Confederate stronghold, so I doubt it.”

“One of the moons of Zhar, perhaps?” Jesse proposed.

“No, all of those are too close to the battle site,” Rex interrupted. “We’re probably looking for something that gives them a bit more distance. Do you think they would take their chances with the Unknown Regions?”

A label on the map caught Ahsoka’s eye. “No,” she breathed, shaking her head. With finality, she declared, “They’re making a run for the Greater Javin.”

* * *

Padmé sat on the bed in the quarters she shared with Anakin nervously adjusting and readjusting her hair.

“Angel, you need to relax,” Anakin told her. “Getting yourself all worked up over this isn’t going to help Sabé.”

“I know that, but…” Grunting in frustration, Padmé took a pin out of her hair and threw it on the mattress, then stood up and began to pace. “I can’t sit still, because I know if I do, I’ll start thinking about it, and then I’ll get worried, and that worry will become so overwhelming that my mind will just completely shut down!”

Anakin pressed his lips together in thought. “Why don’t you go through the cargo holds and start cataloguing the supplies so we know what we have and where it is?”

“Good idea,” she declared, pointing at him. Her eyes flitted about the room in search of something. Not finding it, she asked, “Is there a datapad or something around here that I can use to keep track of everything on?”

“I think I saw one in the cockpit,” Anakin replied uncertainly.

“I’ll go check,” Padmé said quickly. As she turned to leave, she nearly ran straight into Obi-Wan, who was just about to enter the room.

“Any news?” she asked.

Obi-Wan sighed. “I’ve done all I can for her. It’s up to her body’s natural healing processes now.”

Worry lines creased Padmé’s forehead. “Will she survive?”

“Probably, but it could be a day or two before she wakes up,” Obi-Wan replied.

Muttering something under her breath, Padmé nodded briefly and then departed.

Obi-Wan shot Anakin a questioning glance.

“She’s a nervous wreck,” Anakin told him. “She’s afraid that if she doesn’t have something to do, she’ll be paralyzed by worry.”

“What’s she doing now?” Obi-Wan asked.

“I suggested she inventory the contents of the supply shipment,” Anakin responded.

“That’s good,” Obi-Wan remarked. “It’s something that probably would have needed to be done anyway.”

Anakin nodded pensively.

“Credit for your thoughts?”

“I’m worried she won’t be able to calm herself down enough to get to sleep tonight,” Anakin confided. “I don’t know whether we have any sedatives aboard, but even if we do, I’d really rather she not have to use them unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. “She’s still trying to get herself back onto a normal sleep schedule. Giving her sedatives could make her dependent on them in order to fall asleep.”

An alarm sounded on Anakin’s comlink.

“What’s that?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Two minutes to hyperspace exit,” Anakin replied, shutting off the alarm and making his way up to the cockpit with Obi-Wan in tow.

Upon entering the cockpit, Anakin threw a quick glance at the status board to confirm that all systems were still operational before sitting down at the controls.

“Okay,” Anakin said to himself, disconnecting the autopilot. He flicked the intercom switch on the control panel. “All hands, prepare for reversion to realspace.”

When the timer on the console hit zero, Anakin pushed the hyperdrive lever forward and brought the ship back into realspace.

“Anywhere in particular I should land?” Anakin asked.

“Somewhere near the equator,” Obi-Wan instructed. “It’ll be slightly warmer there.”

“I don’t know about you, Master, but I plan on remaining aboard ship for the duration of our stay on this ice ball,” Anakin replied.

Obi-Wan harrumphed. “Well, _I_ am starting to feel a little bit cooped up. It’s been what, three and a half, four days since we left Naboo?”

“Something like that,” Anakin said noncommittally.

“And all of that time, I’ve been on either the _Sundered Heart_ or this ship,” Obi-Wan continued. “I’d like to stretch my legs at some point while we’re here.”

“Suit yourself, Master,” Anakin told him, pulling the lever to extend the _Envoy_’s landing gear.

* * *

Organa, Retrac, Neeyutnee, and Jannick sat around the table in the sitting room at Varykino playing a friendly game of sabacc. Dormé and Saché, both half-asleep, lay spooned on the sofa facing the picture window. Dormé’s right arm was draped across Saché’s stomach, and her left hand rested on Saché’s thigh.

“Saché?” Dormé asked groggily.

Saché half-opened one eye. “Yeah, Dormé?”

“I love you,” Dormé murmured, turning her head slightly to kiss Saché’s cheek.

An indistinct noise escaped Saché’s lips, and she shifted position slightly so that her head rested against Dormé’s chest. “Love you too,” she mumbled.

Organa’s datapad buzzed. Frowning, he turned and picked it up from where he had left it on the sofa directly under the picture window.

“New message,” he muttered upon inspection.

“Who’s it from?” Retrac asked.

“I don’t recognize the sender,” Organa replied. Reading the message, he frowned.

Neeyutnee’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

“Drop ambushed. Supplies received. Do not attempt contact,” Organa read aloud.

“It must be from Generals Skywalker and Kenobi,” Jannick surmised.

“You’re certain the Jedi didn’t bug this place while they were out here?” Neeyutnee asked him.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Jannick assured her. A thought struck him, and he turned to Organa. “Where are your pilots?”

“I assume they’re staying aboard the _Tantive IV_ in case we need to make a hasty exit,” Organa told him. “Why?”

“Could the Jedi have placed a tap on the _Tantive IV_’s communications array without their noticing?” Jannick asked.

Before Organa could answer, his comlink chimed. “Yes, Raymus?”

_“Windu’s preparing to hold another press conference, Viceroy. I thought you’d like to know.”_

“Thank you, Raymus. I need you to check the _Tantive IV_’s communications array for wiretaps,” Organa ordered.

_“I’m on it, Viceroy. Antilles out.”_

With Dormé and Saché having been brought back to wakefulness by the sudden commotion, the six of them made their way into the next room and turned on the holoscreen to watch Windu’s press conference.

As he had for his previous press conference, Windu stood before a sea of reporters at a podium on the steps of the Jedi Temple. Tiin stood to his right, arms folded behind his back.

“Around midday yesterday, our intelligence intercepted reports that the Separatists were going to attempt to resupply the commandeered _Sundered Heart_,” Windu informed the reporters. “We assembled a force of twelve ships to ambush the supply drop in an attempt to recover the captured diplomats or, failing that, prevent the Separatists from resupplying the ship. Unfortunately, the Separatists anticipated this move and had a force of their own present to protect the supply transfer.”

“Is there any indication as to where the Separatists might be taking them?” one reporter asked.

“Probably Raxus,” Windu replied.

“Obviously you were unable to recover the hostages,” another reporter began.

“That’s correct,” Windu interrupted. “We were, however, able to prevent the _Sundered Heart_ from taking on the supply shipment, and we were also able to destroy the flagship of the Separatist force protecting the supply transfer.”

“Were you able to establish communications with Skywalker and Kenobi aboard the _Sundered Heart_?” a reporter asked.

Windu shook his head. “The Separatists were jamming communications. The ships in the task force were barely able to talk to each other, much less attempt to contact the _Sundered Heart_.”

“The Separatists continue to deny all involvement in the disappearance of Generals Skywalker and Kenobi, and what’s more, they accuse you of faking their capture to create a diversion so that you could destroy a medical station they were in the process of constructing,” a fourth reporter shouted. “What response do you have to their accusations?”

“First of all, this so-called ‘medical station’ was actually a battle station that, if completed, would have mounted the latest in a line of Separatist superweapons capable of rendering entire planets uninhabitable,” Windu responded. “Secondly, we have no reason to lie about the capture of Generals Skywalker and Kenobi. They, on the other hand, have _every_ reason to lie because if they admit they have Skywalker and Kenobi, they would _also_ be admitting to having captured the delegates to the diplomatic conference, all of whom are noncombatants.”

“What concessions would the Republic be willing to make in exchange for the release of the hostages?” another reporter asked.

“The Republic does not negotiate with terrorists,” Windu told him flatly, turning away from the podium and motioning for Tiin to follow him back into the Temple.

Retrac turned off the holoscreen. “What do you make of the ‘destroyed station’ business?”

“Probably an actual incident that occurred while they were searching for Skywalker and Kenobi,” Neeyutnee guessed. “I’d tend to believe Windu that it was a battle station rather than a medical station.”

“Bigger issue: Windu knows cover stories should stay as close to the truth as possible,” Dormé interjected. “If he says they encountered Separatist forces, that part is probably true. If we’re right about the Jedi having wiretapped the _Tantive IV_, that explains the Republic laying an ambush. How did the Separatists know what was going down?”

“They may have a spy in the Republic Navy,” Organa pointed out. “The leak might not be on our end. Besides, the Separatists probably have no clue what’s really going on here. They could have simply intercepted information about a Republic fleet movement and decided to ambush it without worrying about precisely what the Republic fleet was up to.”

Organa’s comlink chimed again. “Go ahead.”

_“We found the tap, Viceroy,”_ Antilles reported. _“How would you like us to proceed?”_

“Pardon?” Organa asked, slightly confused.

_“If we remove it, whoever’s monitoring it will know we’ve removed it,”_ Antilles replied.

“I don’t care,” Organa told him. “There’s no useful misinformation we can feed them anyway.”

“If I may, Senator,” Retrac interrupted, “Skywalker and Kenobi have asked us not to contact them. Zar and his people have done their job, so we probably don’t need to contact them again. If we’re not going to be making any communications we don’t want the Jedi to hear, we might as well leave the tap in place so we don’t tip them off to the fact that we’ve found it.”

“Alright, leave the tap, Raymus,” Organa instructed. “I’ll let you know if and when I want it removed.”

_“Yes, Viceroy. Antilles out.”_

* * *

Padmé found Anakin in Obi-Wan’s quarters. “Here’s the inventory list. Looks like we’ve got enough food to last us about three weeks, maybe a month if we stretch it.”

Anakin accepted the datapad and placed it in an interior pocket of his robes.

“Is there anything else you’d like me to do?” she asked.

“Not that I can think of,” Anakin replied.

“You can see her now if you’d like,” Obi-Wan said, motioning toward the bed where Sabé lay unconscious.

All in all, Padmé thought, Sabé looked much better than she had when Padmé last saw her. The large piece of transparisteel had been removed from her abdomen, and the bone of her left arm was no longer visible. Most importantly, however, the angle of her right leg had been restored to one more normal for a human.

“She looks so tiny,” Padmé whispered, sitting down on the edge of the bed and taking Sabé’s hand in her own.

“She lost a lot of blood,” Obi-Wan told her. “She’ll need plenty of nourishment to regain her strength once she wakes up.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Padmé reached up with her free hand to caress Sabé’s cheek.

“Obi-Wan and I can leave if you’d like some time alone with her,” Anakin offered.

Padmé shook her head. “No, that’s fine.”

Below her, Padmé felt Sabé begin to stir. “Sabé?”

Sabé opened her eyes slowly. “You finally got out of bed, I see.”

Padmé laughed out loud.

“What?” Sabé asked, her voice still colored by sleepiness.

“Just that your first concern after getting shot would be for my well-being,” Padmé explained.

Sabé tilted her head in confusion.

Padmé’s expression shifted to one of concern. “What do you remember?”

“Telling you about my parents,” Sabé recalled. “Falling asleep in your bed.” She smiled contentedly. “You kissed me goodnight.”

“Anything after that?” Padmé asked.

Sabé’s brow knit in concentration, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to recall. “Blue,” she said finally, opening her eyes. “Everything went blue.”

Anakin and Obi-Wan locked eyes for a long moment, a myriad of expressions playing across their faces. “Blue?” Anakin asked, trepidation evident in his voice.

Sabé nodded weakly. “Like a lightsaber.”

Obi-Wan’s expression darkened. He threw another sidelong glance at Anakin, who nodded grimly in response.

“What?” Padmé asked suspiciously.

“If I’m correct in thinking the blue she’s remembering is the turbolaser blast that hit us, then it was a Republic ship that took the shot,” Obi-Wan explained, clenching his fists at his sides.

Padmé’s whole body went slack. “They tried to kill us,” she breathed, shaking her head and staring off into the distance in disbelief. Looking Anakin straight in the eye, she repeated, “They tried to kill us.”

Anakin nodded solemnly.

“We have to warn Bail,” Padmé said urgently. “If they’re coming after us, he may be next.”

“It’s too dangerous, Senator,” Obi-Wan objected. “We can’t risk giving away our position.” Seeing her about to protest, he added quickly, “Bail can take care of himself. I have every confidence in that.”

“But the more information he has, the better prepared he can be,” Padmé countered.

“It’s not safe,” Obi-Wan told her. “If we make contact, we risk the transmission being intercepted and traced back to its point of origin. The Jedi have already tried to kill us once. If they find us, there is no doubt in my mind that they will attempt to finish the job. Bail knew what he was getting into when he agreed to assist us. Our contacting him would undermine that assistance.”

Padmé sighed in resignation. “You’re right,” she admitted reluctantly. “It’s just frustrating to know he’s in danger and not be able to warn him.”

“This changes everything,” Obi-Wan declared. “Now that Windu has shown his willingness to resort to murder—”

Sabé held up a hand to stop him. “Obi-Wan, Padmé looks about as exhausted as I feel, and you and Anakin don’t look much better. It’s been a long day for all of us, and it looks like we’re approaching nightfall on this part of the planet, so why don’t we get some rest and deal with this in the morning once our minds are clearer?”

“Sleep sounds like a wonderful idea,” Padmé agreed.

“It’s settled, then,” Anakin declared.

Heaving a sigh, Padmé stood from the bed and looped one arm around Anakin’s waist. Anakin gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and the two of them made their way to the door.

Obi-Wan unclipped his lightsaber and comlink from his belt and placed them on the small table opposite the bed. Draping his outer cloak over the back of a chair, he then sat down to remove his boots. Once he had done so, he crawled into bed beside Sabé and hugged her tightly to his chest.

“If something happens in the coming days to separate us, know that you will always and forever be mine,” Obi-Wan whispered.

“Hey, don’t break my ribs,” Sabé replied. The joking tone of her voice seemed slightly forced, but Obi-Wan pushed the notion aside.

“I won’t let them take you away from me, Sabé,” Obi-Wan vowed. “Not if I can help it.”


	17. Chapter 17

Anakin opened his eyes slowly the next morning. Just as they had when they went to bed the previous night, he and Padmé lay wrapped up in each other’s embrace, their chests pressed comfortably together.

_She looks so peaceful,_ Anakin thought to himself as he gently kissed her still-sleeping form.

The sensation of his lips against hers caused Padmé to stir, a small smile spreading across her face.

“Morning, Angel,” Anakin greeted her.

“Morning, Ani,” Padmé replied, her fingers lazily tracing circles on his back.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you look when you first wake up in the morning?” Anakin asked, tenderly stroking her hair.

Before Padmé could answer, the door to their quarters swung open and Obi-Wan entered dressed in full cold-weather gear. Padmé and Anakin turned their heads to face him, sitting up as much as they could without disentangling their arms.

“I’m going to go scout out the surrounding area,” he informed them. “Either of you care to join me?”

“No thanks, Master,” Anakin responded.

“Senator?”

Padmé hummed. “Let’s see. Would I rather go out there into a freezing cold wilderness covered in snow, ice, and probably wild animals with a man who has nothing but disdain for my line of work or stay in here in my nice warm, comfortable bed and cuddle with my husband who loves me very much?” She planted a quick kiss on Anakin’s cheek. “I think I’d rather stay here with Ani.”

“Alright then,” Obi-Wan said, pulling his snow goggles down over his eyes. “I have my comlink with me in case either of you need to get in touch.” With that, he turned and departed, pulling the door shut behind him.

Padmé and Anakin allowed their heads to fall back onto the pillow, their faces just centimeters apart. Padmé closed the distance between them and kissed him on the lips, this one lasting several seconds. “Hey, Ani, despite what I just told Obi-Wan…”

“Yeah, Angel?” Anakin asked breathlessly.

“I think I’d like to do a little more than just cuddle.”

* * *

The _Twilight_ dropped out of hyperspace above the planet of Gerrenthum, the capital of the Anoat sector.

“Gerrenthum Flight Control, this is General Tano with the Grand Army of the Republic. We’re attempting to locate a YT-1300 freighter by the name of _Stellar Envoy_. Has that ship happened to pass through here in the past day or so, by any chance?”

_“Hang on.”_ There was a pause before the voice on the other end asked, _“A YT series, you said?”_

“YT-1300, that’s right,” Ahsoka confirmed.

_“Last one of those we had through here was two weeks ago. The _Flare Chaser._”_

“Has the _Stellar Envoy_ ever come through here?” Ahsoka asked.

Another pause. _“Not in the past six months. That’s as far back as our records go.”_

“Understood. Thank you,” Ahsoka replied, closing the connection.

“Where to next?” Rex asked.

“The Mining Worlds?” Fives suggested. “They’re basically uninhabited except for the miners.”

Ahsoka hummed thoughtfully, pursing her lips as she did so.

“Too obvious, you think?”

“Not necessarily that so much as that all three of those, basically the whole planet has been turned into a mine and there wouldn’t really be anywhere for them to make camp without being noticed,” Ahsoka responded slowly.

“Does it necessarily matter whether the miners notice as long as the Republic doesn’t find them?” Jesse asked.

“The trouble with that is that if the miners noticed and did nothing, they would then be harboring Republic fugitives, which could get the Figg conglomerate into legal trouble,” Ahsoka pointed out.

“So you think we’re looking for an uninhabited planet?”

“Not necessarily,” Ahsoka replied. “Fives’ point about the Mining Worlds being inhabited almost exclusively by Figg’s people is exactly the problem. If any of them were to knowingly allow the _Envoy_’s presence on-planet, Figg’s whole operation could potentially be held liable.”

“Whereas a planetary government couldn’t be held liable for actions taken by private citizens without its knowledge,” Rex finished.

“I still do think we want to look for planets on the smaller side of population, though, but I don’t necessarily think a potential hideout planet would need to be completely uninhabited,” Ahsoka added.

“So where to start?” Fives asked.

“The Lutrillian Cross?” Jesse proposed, glancing at the map on the holoprojector.

“Good as any,” Ahsoka decided, keying the route into the navicomputer.

* * *

Anakin sighed and smiled to himself, twirling a lock of Padmé’s hair around his finger as he watched her sleep. _I could do this every day for the rest of my life,_ he thought.

Padmé’s eyes fluttered open slowly. “Ani?”

“I’m right here, Angel,” Anakin assured her, pulling her into his arms.

“I love you, Ani,” she told him sleepily, nestling her head into the crook of his neck.

Anakin’s smile widened. “I love you, too, Angel,” he replied, gently kissing her hair.

The two of them lay there in silence for a moment, content in simply enjoying each other’s presence.

“I take it you’re feeling better, then?” Anakin asked.

“Yeah,” Padmé breathed. “Which reminds me, we should probably go check on Sabé.”

“Good idea,” Anakin agreed.

The pair dressed quickly and made their way to the forward crew quarters.

“She looks awfully pale,” Padmé whispered.

Their entrance caused Sabé to stir. She sat up slowly, an uneasy expression spreading across her features.

“Is something wrong?” Padmé asked, moving quickly to Sabé’s side.

Sabé nodded, bringing her hand up in front of her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Oh, dear,” Padmé said, looping an arm around Sabé’s back and helping her to her feet. “Come on. Let’s get you to the ‘fresher. Ani, would you run and grab some water?”

“Sure thing,” Anakin responded.

As Anakin made his way to the forward hold, he encountered Obi-Wan in the small lounge area removing his winter gear after having returned from his scouting expedition.

“You seem to be in quite the rush,” Obi-Wan observed. “Is everything alright?”

“Sabé’s experiencing some nausea,” Anakin explained quickly. “Padmé sent me to fetch some water for her.”

“Good,” Obi-Wan remarked. “She needs to drink a lot of fluids to replenish all the blood she lost yesterday. That’s probably why the nausea.”

Anakin quickly retrieved a bottle of water and made his way back to the forward crew quarters with Obi-Wan in tow. When he arrived, he found Sabé sitting up in bed with Padmé in the chair next to her.

“Here you go,” he told Sabé, handing her the bottle.

Sabé accepted it gratefully and began to drink in small sips. Anakin and Obi-Wan sat down in two of the room’s other chairs.

Noticing Padmé’s withdrawn countenance, Anakin asked, “Something bothering you, Angel?”

“I just…” Padmé shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe Ahsoka would try to kill us.”

“Now wait a minute,” Anakin broke in, “we don’t know that she was involved in that.”

“Yes, we do,” Padmé told him. “I saw her starfighter. She was there, Ani.”

“Are you absolutely certain it was hers?” Anakin asked. “Master Tiin’s fighter has the same markings but in a different color.”

Padmé shook her head. “Tiin was flying the _Sharp Spiral_. It was definitely Ahsoka.”

Anakin’s torso slumped forward in shock and he dropped his head into his lap, massaging his temples with two fingers.

Padmé reached over and began to rub his back soothingly. “It’s okay, Ani. This isn’t your fault.”

Without sitting up, Anakin turned his head sideways to face her. “How?” he asked. Dropping his head back into his hands and running his fingers up and down the sides of his nose, he continued, “How could I have taught her _so badly_ that she thinks this is the Jedi way?”

“Maybe you didn’t,” Obi-Wan answered.

Anakin lifted his head and shot Obi-Wan a questioning look.

“You can’t teach someone who doesn’t want to learn,” Obi-Wan explained. “It’s possible she’s been deceiving us this whole time.”

“You think the Council set me up?” Anakin responded skeptically.

“Well, you certainly have to admit that, in this day and age, it’s rather unusual for a master to be assigned a Padawan as opposed to selecting one of their own volition,” Obi-Wan pointed out.

“Wasn’t Master Maruk assigned a Padawan?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “He lost a bet with Master Yoda. That’s different. Besides, just because it’s not unheard of doesn’t make it common. Even if he had been assigned a Padawan, it would still have been a rarity in comparison to the number of Padawans selected by the usual process.”

“Alright, I’ll grant you that, but if what you’re saying is true, that would imply that this whole affair was planned from the start two years ago, and I find that awfully hard to believe,” Anakin countered.

“Well, it’s in the past,” Obi-Wan stated as a means of changing the subject. “Right now, we need to figure out how we’re going to respond to the fact that Windu is trying to kill us.”

“I don’t necessarily know that we need to respond,” Padmé pointed out. “They don’t know where we are. Bail knows not to contact us. I think as long as we maintain comm silence, it will be very difficult for the Republic to find us. Since I trust that Bail has the common sense to know that he should break comm silence if he realizes our location has been compromised, I think our best option right now is to sit tight and wait for this to play out.” Seeing Obi-Wan about to protest, she added, “Look, I know you’re Jedi, and I know you’d rather take Windu in a straight-up fight, but we have to be smart about this. As long as Windu can’t find us, we’re safe where we are.”

“This isn’t just about us anymore,” Obi-Wan told her. “The future of the Jedi Order is at stake here. If Windu is attempting to kill us over this, then he has clearly abandoned the principles upon which the Jedi Order was founded. He must be stopped!”

“That may be so, but even if it is, we are in no position to be the ones to do it!” Padmé objected.

Sabé opened her mouth to speak, but before she could begin, Obi-Wan shouted back, “On the contrary, we are perhaps in the best position to be the ones to do it since we are the ones most directly affected by his tyrannical—”

“Now wait just a minute!” Padmé interrupted. “Just because he’s being a little heavy-handed in his handling of this particular situation, that doesn’t necessarily indicate that he’s running the whole Order—”

“With all due respect, _Senator_,” Obi-Wan cut in, “you do not know Mace Windu like I do. He is a far-right conservative extremist who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, and I daresay it was only the late Master Yoda’s restraining influence on him that kept those tendencies from manifesting themselves until now.”

Again, Sabé opened her mouth, but before she could begin to speak, Padmé responded, “And if you’re right, that is _exactly_ why we are in no position to be the ones to stop him! We have no allies and no information about what is going on inside the Jedi Order. We are four people. He has the entire Jedi Order and the Republic military behind him! What exactly would you have us do, just _waltz_ right in the front door of the Jedi Temple and demand an audience?”

“We would be cut down before we made it halfway up the steps,” Obi-Wan scoffed.

“Kill us? In front of all those people?” Padmé shouted. “He wouldn’t dare!”

“If he actually believes his claim that we’ve fallen to the Dark Side, he wouldn’t think twice!” Obi-Wan shot back defensively.

Sabé attempted to begin speaking a third time, but before she could do so, Padmé yelled, “I am a senator of the Galactic Republic and the sovereign system of Naboo! He has no authority—”

“_HEY!_” Anakin put the weight of the Force behind his words as he stood and threw both hands in the air in a ‘stop’ gesture. “I think Sabé has something to add to the discussion,” he said, resuming his seat with a sigh of frustration.

“Who knows we switched ships?” she asked.

“Well, besides the four of us, the two pilots who are now aboard the _Sundered Heart_,” Obi-Wan replied. “Bail may or may not have figured it out based on the message we sent. I think that covers it.”

“Does Windu know?” Sabé asked pointedly.

“Not to my knowledge,” Anakin told her.

“He wasn’t trying to kill us,” Sabé declared. “He was just trying to deny us the supply shipment.”

“Then that makes it even worse,” Obi-Wan broke in. “At least if he’s shooting at us, we’ve actually done something to warrant being shot at. The supply ship pilots are innocent in all this.”

“Technically, they’re aiding and abetting fugitives by providing the supplies,” Anakin pointed out.

“Yes, but they are outside the Jedi Order’s jurisdiction, and even if the Order did have jurisdiction, aiding and abetting is not a capital offense,” Obi-Wan responded.

“Look, all of this is all well and good, but I don’t see where we can do anything but bide our time until the search effort is scaled back enough that we can move about undetected,” Padmé interjected.

“We don’t _have_ any time to bide!” Obi-Wan shouted, slamming his fist against the arm of his chair for emphasis. “Windu and his ultraconservative policies are driving the Order into the ground! We must have reform if the Order is to regain public trust!”

“No,” Padmé declared emphatically. “That doesn’t have anything to do with it. The lack of public trust in the Order is not because of non-attachment, it is not because of emotionlessness, it is not because of any of that—no. The lack of public trust is because the Order that claims to be made up of _peacekeepers_ has taken up a role as _generals_ in an _army_ leading a _war_. Only if you end this _hypocrisy_—”

“Says the so-called _pacifist_ who has on numerous occasions taken up arms—” Obi-Wan interrupted.

“That’s different,” Padmé objected.

“The hells it is!” Obi-Wan sneered.

“I have only used my weapon to defend myself,” Padmé shot back. “Don’t try to tell me the Republic has not launched a single offensive campaign in the course of this entire war, because I know for a fact it’s not true. If the Order wants to regain public trust—”

“Windu has to go,” Obi-Wan cut in. “Not only are his internal policies making the Jedi seem subsentient to outside observers, he has taken a highly aggressive stance on this war from the outset, and with Yoda dead, his ruthlessness will go unchecked as long as the conservatives control the Council.”

Padmé sighed. “Okay, I’ll concede that if Windu is as much of a warmonger as you’re claiming, his leadership could exacerbate the public mistrust, but is deposing him really necessary? Can’t he be reasoned with?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “Windu’s been a hardliner on the issue of the Dark Side for as long as I can recall. As long as the Separatists continue to align themselves with the Sith, he will show them no mercy.”

“But if he starts resorting to the same brutal methods and underhanded tricks they use, he’s no better than they are!” Padmé protested.

“Honestly? I don’t think he cares,” Obi-Wan replied. “According to Mace Windu, the Dark Side’s influence must be stopped at all costs.”

Padmé eyed him skeptically. “Surely there are lines not even the most aggressive of Jedi would cross.”

“Well, considering he tried to kill us—” Obi-Wan began.

“No, he didn’t,” Padmé reminded him. “He had no way of knowing that we were no longer aboard the _Sundered Heart_. We don’t even know if Windu himself was actually present at the ambush!”

“We know Tiin was there,” Obi-Wan stated. “He may be a conservative hardliner, but not nearly to the same extent as Windu. He wouldn’t have given that order on his own initiative, and I daresay Tano wouldn’t have either, especially since Tiin being a member of the High Council would have outranked her. Even if Windu wasn’t physically present, he was the one who called the shot.”

“Even if that’s so, all that proves is that he authorized firing on the supply ship,” Padmé responded. “Just because he authorized firing on the supply ship, that doesn’t mean he authorized firing on the _Sundered Heart_, and since he didn’t know we were going to be on the supply ship rather than the _Sundered Heart_, that doesn’t mean he authorized killing us.”

“But what it _does_ mean is that he authorized killing innocents who I’m guessing were only told to deliver these supplies to Generals Skywalker and Kenobi without being told any of the circumstances!” Obi-Wan roared. “They probably had no idea we were fugitives! If anything, they probably thought this was some sort of covert op! _They do not deserve to die for that!_”

“That’s right, they don’t, but Windu doesn’t deserve to have you pass judgment on him without giving him a chance to explain himself, either!” Padmé pointed out.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Obi-Wan asked. In a mocking voice, he continued, “This isn’t your pretty little politician’s world where everyone can sit down and talk about their differences and reach a resolution everyone’s happy with.” Resuming his normal tone, Obi-Wan declared with an air of sudden realization, “Oh wait. That world doesn’t even exist.”

“He at least deserves a chance to defend his actions,” Padmé replied, struggling to control her temper.

“This is war, Senator!” Obi-Wan shot back. “When we confront Windu, seconds _will_ count. We’re going to have to draw lightsabers first and ask questions later.”

“For the last time, we do _not_ have the _resources_ to _take him on!_” Padmé exploded. “_Why_ do you insist on turning first to violence?”

“You think I _like_ having to take on the grand master of the Jedi Order?” Obi-Wan challenged, his face now mere centimeters from Padmé’s. “If you think that, you are _sorely_ mistaken.”

“Is that so?” Padmé sneered sarcastically. “Because it certainly _seems_ like you are positively _itching_ to pick a fight with him.”

“You should consider writing holonovels, Senator,” Obi-Wan suggested in a deceptively nonchalant tone. “You certainly have no trouble coming up with fictional stories.”

“Then explain to me why you didn’t even _try_ to avoid the confrontation that _started_ this war in the first place!” Padmé shouted.

“As I recall, _you_ came rushing in to try and rescue _me_ and wound up getting _yourself_ captured!” Obi-Wan retorted. “I’m hardly the only guilty party here!”

Having finally seen enough, Anakin stood and stepped between his wife and his master. “Alright, this conversation’s over. We’ll just have to delay this discussion until you two can get over yourselves and be civil with each other.”

* * *

“Master Windu is here to see you, Senator,” Doshol Vaeli’s voice came through the office intercom.

“Good. Send him in,” Riyo Chuchi instructed her secretary.

The door slid open and Windu entered. “You wanted to see me, Senator?”

Chuchi nodded. “Yes. Please, have a seat,” she offered, motioning to the chairs in front of her desk.

“I prefer to stand,” Windu replied.

Chuchi nodded again. “Very well, then.” Standing and slowly ambling out from behind her desk, she continued, “I wanted to ask you about the search base the Republic recently established in the former Pantoran Defense Force headquarters.”

“What about it?” Windu asked.

“Now don’t get me wrong here, I want those diplomats and the generals found just as much as I’m sure you do,” Chuchi said. “I just want to make sure that this search base is not a prelude to a permanent GAR presence on Pantora.”

Windu shook his head. “Pantora was just convenient because being able to use the recently vacated PDF command center reduced the amount of time it would take us to get the search base operational.”

“Then I have your assurance that the GAR forces currently stationed on Pantora will be withdrawn once the captives are located?” Chuchi asked.

Windu nodded silently in response.

“Good,” Chuchi declared. “That’s all I wanted to see you for. Unless you had anything else?”

“I assume if the Pantoran Defense Force comes into any information that could help us locate Skywalker and Kenobi, they will pass that along to us?”

Chuchi nodded. “Yes, Master Jedi.”

“Thank you for your time, Senator,” Windu told her. With that, he turned and left.

Chuchi stood staring at the door through which Windu had departed for a long moment. “The gall of that man to thank _me_ for _my_ time when _I_ was the one who asked for this meeting in the first place,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head slowly as she returned to her desk.

* * *

As soon as the outer office door slid shut behind him, Windu pulled his comlink from his robes and dialed.

“What did Chuchi want?” Tiin asked.

“Assurances that Ground Base Pantora wasn’t going to become a permanent installation,” Windu relayed.

“She didn’t have any problem with it remaining for the duration of the manhunt?”

Windu shook his head. “I don’t think she knows anything other than what’s been stated publicly.”

“Good,” Tiin commented. “The fewer people know about it, the less likely this is to blow up in our faces if Tano’s right that the public would react badly should the truth come out.”

“Also good because the fewer co-conspirators Skywalker and Kenobi have in the Senate, the less likely their little coup attempt will succeed,” Windu pointed out.

“I still don’t completely get that,” Tiin replied. “When the issue of making concessions came up during the Eidera debrief, the moderates seemed open to persuasion. Why would they risk a coup instead of trying to sell concessions to the moderates, especially with all the vacancies that have been opening up lately?”

Windu fixed him with a hard stare. “Need I remind you that one of those vacancies was opened up as a direct result of their actions?”

“No, it just seems rather unintelligent of them to resort to a coup when there was still a reasonable chance that they could achieve their goals through other means,” Tiin clarified.

“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s in part because they want Skywalker on the Council,” Windu supposed.

Tiin nodded. “That probably would be a deal breaker for the moderates,” he agreed.

“Okay, so moving on from that, where are we on the search?” Windu asked.

“Well, they departed the supply drop on a northerly track,” Tiin reported.

“Were we ever able to determine whether they completed the supply transfer?”

“It’s highly unlikely,” Tiin informed him. “The initial sensor scan we took when we arrived indicated that the supply freighter’s hyperdrive had been used in the fifteen minutes prior to our arrival. I doubt they’d have had enough time to transfer the supplies in that interval, especially since some of it would have been spent docking with the _Sundered Heart_.”

Windu nodded. “So you were saying before I interrupted?”

“As unlikely as Tano thinks it is, I’d say they’re probably heading for Hutt Space,” Tiin continued. “We know they need supplies, and if I were them, I would want to ditch the _Sundered Heart_ for something that will be harder to track. If they want to do both of those with no questions asked, Hutt Space is their best bet.”

“Agreed,” Windu replied. “Why did Tano think it was unlikely?”

“She thought they would be worried about exposing themselves to bounty hunters,” Tiin explained.

“They’re too desperate to be worried about _bounty_ hunters,” Windu scoffed. “Although now that you mention it, I’ll have one of our undercover operatives give the Bounty Hunters’ Guild an anonymous tip that they might be in the area.”

“Hang on,” Tiin said. “Skywalker and Kenobi being dead we can explain away as the Seps deciding to kill their hostages, but what about Amidala and her serving-girl?”

“Leave that to me,” Windu instructed.

* * *

Panaka grunted, making a mental note to upgrade the Palace’s security holocams to a model with higher resolution. The recording he was looking at was too blurry for him to confirm or refute his hypothesis.

Deciding to trust his nephew’s ability to recall observations about things he wasn’t particularly looking for, Panaka withdrew his private comlink from his bottom desk drawer and dialed for the Office of the Supreme Chancellor.

“What were you able to learn from Captain Typho?” Palpatine asked.

“He knows nothing, Excellency,” Panaka replied. “However, based on what little he was able to tell me, I strongly suspect Amidala has put her decoy into play.”

Palpatine frowned. “But to what end? And more importantly, where is the real Amidala if not on Naboo?”

“I have a theory about that, Excellency,” Panaka told him. “As you’ll recall, Senator Organa has been attending his committee meetings via hologram.”

“And the monitoring device you placed on Organa’s communications array intercepted the contents of those committee meetings?”

Panaka nodded. “At the end of the Judiciary Committee meeting three days ago, he had a private conversation with Senator Mothma in which he told her to, quote, ‘be very careful about who you trust, especially among the Jedi Order.’”

“Then Organa’s dealings are with a splinter faction of the Jedi,” Palpatine concluded.

“Yes, but not in the way you’re probably thinking,” Panaka responded. “The mistake we’d been making in our previous attempts to decipher the situation was assuming that it was something to do with Kenobi and Skywalker. Kenobi is immaterial to the situation insofar as he is an ally of Skywalker’s.”

Palpatine raised his eyebrows skeptically. “Begging your pardon?”

“Organa and Amidala are very close allies in the Senate, correct?” Panaka asked.

Palpatine nodded, confusion evident in his expression. “Joined at the hip, yes, but how does that pertain—”

“Since Amidala has put her decoy into play, she herself could be anywhere. Bear with me here, Excellency,” Panaka requested, seeing that Palpatine was about to voice his confusion once more. “There was no diplomatic conference between the Alderaanians and the Naboo, yet a week ago, the _Sundered Heart_ left Coruscant bound for Naboo. There’s been no Separatist activity in the Chommell sector since the Festival of Light, yet Windu claims the nonexistent diplomatic conference was attacked by Separatist forces and the delegates captured. Skywalker and Kenobi are unaccounted for aboard Organa’s ship. Amidala is also unaccounted for, whereabouts unknown. Organa has instructed Mothma not to trust the Jedi. Think about it, Excellency. Why would allies of Skywalker and Amidala turn their backs on the Jedi?”

Palpatine’s mouth dropped open in shock. “It all makes perfect sense,” he muttered, dumbfounded.

Panaka nodded solemnly. “My theory, Excellency, is that the Jedi have discovered Skywalker’s marriage.”

* * *

Darth Sidious fumed at the irony of it all. _The Jedi discovered Skywalker’s marriage! This was supposed to be my moment of triumph! Skywalker’s whole world was supposed to fall apart around him, leaving him nowhere to turn but to me! Instead, he somehow manages to emerge unscathed. Forced into hiding, but nonetheless unscathed._

It was all because Kenobi inexplicably chose to break with the High Council and defend Skywalker’s blatant violations of the Jedi Code. It simply made no sense. True, it had been Kenobi that trained Skywalker, but if anything, that should have made Kenobi even more critical of his former apprentice’s actions. All of Sidious’ sources told him that Kenobi was the model Jedi. Yes, he spent more time away from the Temple than many others, but the vast majority of that time was spent on the front lines. There was _nothing_ to indicate an ideological split with the Council, and certainly not one as large as this.

Yet if appearances were to be believed, Kenobi was aware of and condoned Skywalker’s tryst with Amidala, which effectively ruined Sidious’ plans for bringing Skywalker to the Dark Side. With his marriage exposed, Skywalker should have been torn between Kenobi and Amidala. He would not have been able to remain married to Amidala without sacrificing his friendship with Kenobi, and he would not have been able to remain a Jedi—and thus preserve his friendship with Kenobi—without divorcing Amidala.

Kenobi’s abandonment of the Jedi had removed the need for Skywalker to choose. Lofty ideals—Jedi and Sith, Light Side and Dark—held little meaning for Skywalker. Kenobi was Skywalker’s sole reason for remaining in the Order. When Skywalker’s choice was between Kenobi on the one hand and Amidala on the other, it would have brought him to his knees with indecision, although Sidious knew he would eventually choose Amidala. Instead, his choice was between Kenobi and Amidala on the one hand and the ignorant fools who made up the Jedi Council on the other, and that was a choice Skywalker would make without hesitation.

Skywalker had everything he needed now, and he would—_Yes,_ Sidious thought, a plan beginning to form in his head. _Yes, that would do quite nicely._

Now he just needed a means of contacting the boy. Based on the transmissions Panaka had intercepted, it appeared they were planning to make camp on an ice planet until the Jedi called off their search.

Raising one hand, Sidious floated his comlink to the center of the room.

“What is thy bidding, my master?” Tyranus answered.

“Are we still in contact with Bane?” Sidious asked.

Tyranus nodded. “He intends to depart for Naboo tomorrow morning.”

“Inform him there’s been a change of plans,” Sidious instructed. “I need the targets alive. They carry information that is vital to the success of the Grand Plan.”

Tyranus frowned. “This will complicate his mission significantly. He will almost certainly demand a similar increase in his compensation.”

“Money is of no concern to us, Lord Tyranus,” Sidious cackled. His gaze hardened. “Tell the bounty hunter to name his price.”

“Yes, my master,” Tyranus replied. “Where shall I have Bane deliver the captives once he completes the mission?”

Sidious considered this for a moment. “Have him bring them to your fortress on Vjun. Once Bane reports success, I will meet you there and we will interrogate our captives.”

“It will be done, my master,” Tyranus assured him.


	18. Chapter 18

“If memory serves, General Secura has about four hours before her supplies run out,” Fisto said. “If you can’t get their connection to those geothermal vents knocked out by then, I’ll have to send the supply convoy into the fire zone.”

_“Understood, General,”_ Gree replied. _“If everything goes according to plan, we should have it down in two. That gives us plenty of wiggle room.”_

“Just make sure we stay on schedule,” Fisto requested. “I’d really rather not have to risk the convoy getting pinned down as well because I had to send them in while General Secura’s position was still under bombardment.”

_“Will do, General,”_ Gree confirmed.

“If and when you’re able to silence their artillery, we’ll reassess your situation and determine whether to have a go at the shield generator,” Fisto told him.

_“Copy that, General,”_ Gree responded. _“If by some chance the shield generator is also tied into the geothermal vents and taking them out brings down the shield, are your forces ready to move in?”_

“If that were to happen, signal for an immediate extraction,” Fisto instructed. “Once we got you out, I’d have Admiral Tausav commence an orbital bombardment of the Separatist position.”

_“Yes, General,”_ Gree replied. _“We’re ready to begin blasting the tunnel, General.”_

“Green Company, you are a go,” Fisto told them. “May the Force be with you.”

Signaling the communications officer to terminate the connection, Fisto turned to Unduli. “You’re sure your Padawan is up to leading this mission, Luminara?”

Unduli nodded. “It’s just like Second Geonosis, except we’re blasting the tunnel ourselves instead of using an existing one.”

Fisto pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Even so,” he sighed, “I’d feel a lot more comfortable if you were out there with them.”

“Why, do you feel my Padawan is incapable of completing the mission?” Unduli asked.

Fisto shook his head. “No, that’s not it. I just…I got a bad feeling about this, Luminara. I can’t explain why; I just do.”

Unduli considered this for a moment. “Do you think we should scrub the mission?”

Fisto shook his head again. “Not an option. General Secura needs those supplies.”

* * *

Gree and Offee poked their heads out of the tunnel’s opening.

“Looks like we’re past the shield perimeter,” Offee observed. “Now where is that geothermal vent?”

“Actually, there are three of them, Commander. Here, here, and here,” Gree informed her, indicating their locations on a holographic map of the battlefield. “We don’t know which one the Separatists have tied into.”

Offee frowned. “How are we on time?”

“We’ve been gone about forty-five minutes, Commander,” Gree replied.

“You and your men wait in the tunnel,” Offee ordered. “I’ll scout up ahead and determine which of the vents is our target.”

“With all due respect, Commander, I think it would be best if you take at least a small clone contingent with you in case you run into trouble,” Gree suggested.

“Clones would draw too much attention,” Offee countered. “We can’t have our presence being discovered before we’re ready to move. Besides, I am more than capable of handling myself if I run into trouble.”

“If you say so, Commander,” Gree acquiesced reluctantly.

“I’ll alert you when I locate the target,” Offee told the clones.

“We’ll be ready, Commander,” Gree assured her.

* * *

_“I don’t know where she could be, sir,”_ Gree reported. _“It’s been two hours since she left for her solo scouting expedition—and for the record, I strongly objected to her undertaking this without any backup—and we’ve had no word from her since.”_

Fisto sighed, leaning forward and resting both hands on the edge of the holotable. “We may have to consider the possibility of her capture.”

_“Yes, sir,”_ Gree said solemnly. _“How would you like us to proceed, sir?”_

“Well, we’ve got—” Fisto glanced at the chronometer on the opposite wall. “—just over an hour before I’m going to have to send the convoy in regardless of whether the 327th’s position is still under bombardment. Give it another fifteen minutes, and if she hasn’t made contact by then, proceed to the closest of the potential target sites.”

_“Hang on,”_ Gree requested. _“She’s making contact.”_

“Patch me in,” Fisto ordered.

_“Will do, sir,” _Gree replied.

_“They’re tied into Vent Cresh. I say again, Cresh is the target,”_ Offee’s voice came across the channel.

_“Acknowledged, Commander. Target is Cresh,”_ Gree repeated. _“Are you able to hold position without being discovered?”_

_“Yes, but I believe it would be better if you wait for me to rejoin you and we move in as a unit,”_ Offee responded.

_“Got no time for that, Commander. We’ll meet you there. Gree out.”_

“Commander, I warn you that this may be a trap,” Fisto stated as soon as Offee’s line disconnected. “There is no way that it should have taken her that long to scout out three locations. It is possible that she has been captured and is being forced to feed us disinformation.”

_“Understood, sir. How do you recommend we proceed?”_

“We hit all three potential target sites,” Fisto declared. “Go ahead and make your way to Cresh as Offee indicated, but be on especially high alert as you do so. I will lead a company to Vent Aurek and General Unduli will lead a company to Vent Besh.”

_“Yes, sir. Should we depart immediately or wait for your companies to be ready?”_

“Depart immediately,” Fisto ordered. “That way, if it turns out Offee’s report _is_ genuine, we can redirect to Cresh and support your forces there.”

_“Yes, sir,”_ Gree replied, terminating the communication.

“This is most unlike her,” Unduli commented.

“Worry about it later,” Fisto told her, turning to depart the command center. “General Secura doesn’t have time for this.” Pulling out his comlink, he spoke into it, “Captain Aram: ready your men. We move out in five.”

* * *

Agen Kolar and two clone troopers sat in the former’s quarters sifting through the base’s records in search of any electronic trail the funeral bomber may have left.

“Sir, there’s a half-hour gap in the security logs the morning after the attack that killed General Rancisis,” one of the troopers reported. “It looks like they’ve been erased.”

“Whoever did this didn’t do a very good job of it,” the other trooper said. “They just deallocated the disk space. The actual data hasn’t been overwritten.”

“Does that mean we can recover it?” Kolar asked.

“Yes, sir,” the second trooper told him. “We just have to figure out where it is on the disk.”

“So it’s not gone, it’s just missing,” Kolar said.

“That’s correct, sir.”

“And if we find it, we can read it.”

“Also correct, sir.”

“Let me know when you find it.”

“One moment, sir. Okay, I think we’ve got it, sir.”

“Anything of interest?” Kolar asked.

“Yes, sir. Commander Offee’s access code was used to access the ammo dump at 0930 the morning after Rancisis’ death, and the same code was used ten minutes later to access the morgue.”

“So either Offee’s access codes have been compromised…” Kolar’s voice trailed off.

“Or Offee’s our perp. It certainly looks that way, sir.”

* * *

“Okay, anyone got eyes on the commander?” Gree asked as Green Company drew within sighting distance of Vent Cresh.

“No, sir,” CT-2242, nicknamed “Cooker,” replied. “If I may, sir?”

“Yeah, what is it, Cooker?”

“It’s too quiet, sir,” Cooker opined. “If this really were where the Seps had tied in their artillery and their shield generator, you’d think there would be a lot more activity around here than what we’re seeing.”

Gree withdrew a pair of electrobinoculars from his utility belt and brought them up to the visor of his helmet. “It’s a trap,” he muttered disgustedly, returning the electrobinoculars to his belt.

No sooner had he made this declaration than blaster bolts began to rain down upon them from the ridges on either side of the path.

“Hit the deck!” he ordered.

Moving as one, the clones dropped to the ground and began returning fire against the droid positions.

“Gamma Squad, Epsilon Squad, see if you can circle around and outflank them,” Gree directed.

“Sir! Yes, sir!”

Gree slapped the transmit button on his wrist comlink and spoke into it, “Gree to headquarters. Cresh is a trap! I say again, Cresh is _not_ the target!”

_“Understood. Any sign of Commander Offee?”_ Kolar’s voice crackled through the comlink.

“No, sir,” Gree reported.

_“Commander Offee has turned traitor. I say again, Offee is no longer on our side,”_ Kolar informed him.

“You’re absolutely sure about this, sir?” Gree asked.

_“We have holographic evidence implicating her in the bombing of General Rancisis’ funeral,”_ Kolar replied. _“I assure you, Commander, there is no room for uncertainty.”_

Gree sighed. “Yes, sir.” Closing the connection, he shouted, “Alright, men, let’s show these clankers who they’re dealing with! Start moving up the ridge!”

* * *

“There’s definitely something there, sir,” Aram told Fisto, lowering his electrobinoculars. “Whether it’s the target, I can’t tell from this distance, but there’s definitely activity near the vent.”

“How much closer do you think we can get without revealing our presence?” Fisto asked.

“Two, three klicks, maybe?” Aram estimated. “Our best bet is to approach from the southwest. That’ll let us get within about a half a klick of the outermost sentries before we’ll have to cross open ground.”

“How far is the sentry post from our target?”

“Maps!” Aram called out.

A clone trooper stepped forward.

“The sentry post is three klicks away, bearing 324,” Aram told him. “The target is three and a half klicks away, bearing 339. How far is the sentry post from the target?”

Maps looked upward in thought. “Shade under a klick, sir,” he declared after a moment.

“And all of that’s open ground?” Fisto asked.

Aram nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Fisto hummed pensively. “Time check?”

Aram glanced at his wrist chronometer. “Forty minutes to drop-dead time, sir.”

Fisto hummed again, this time more in frustration than thought. “We’ll have to take a direct line to the target. There’s not enough time for us to get there if we take a longer route.”

“Understood, sir,” Aram replied. After exchanging nods with Fisto, he stepped out of the thicket in which they had been hiding and began to advance towards the geothermal vent and the prefabricated building that had been erected next to it, signaling for his men to follow.

* * *

As Fisto, Aram, and their men drew near the building, they were able to observe two B1 battle droids stationed outside what appeared to be the building’s only entrance.

One of the droids pointed at the advancing group. “Hey, look, clone troopers!”

“What are they doing here?” the other droid asked its partner.

“I don’t know,” the first droid replied. “You think they’ll try to blow up the power station?”

“Uh-oh,” the second droid said, ignoring the question. “Is that a Jedi?”

“It certainly looks like one,” the first droid agreed.

“I hate this job,” the second droid grumbled.

The conversation was abruptly cut short when Aram and another trooper opened fire, downing the two droids with single shots to the head. Fisto and the clones crossed the remaining distance and soon stood outside the door.

“Okay, get in, find the main generator room, set the thermal detonators, and get out,” Fisto reminded his troops.

“Yes, sir!” they chorused.

Working quickly, Fisto ignited his lightsaber and cut through the door’s locking mechanism. The troopers began pouring into the building.

Almost immediately, they spotted a mixed formation of B1 and B2 battle droids marching up the main corridor toward the entrance. Reacting quickly, the clones moved to the edges of the corridor and began opening fire. Those troopers who were able to do so ducked into branching corridors and fired around the corner at the advancing droids.

“Conserve your thermal detonators,” Aram ordered. “We’ll need them to blow up the generator.”

Meanwhile, Fisto charged up the middle of the corridor, deflecting the droids’ blasterfire back at them with his lightsaber. Once he reached the front of the droid ranks, he began slicing the droids apart as he encountered them.

About half of the droids had fallen when the Republic forces heard a distinctive rumble.

“Droidekas!” Aram shouted to his troops. “Get ‘em before they unfold!”

Three of the bronzium-plated droids rolled out into the main corridor from branching corridors on either side. As soon as they came into view, the clone troopers refocused their blasterfire against the new arrivals. A lucky hit to the droideka on the clones’ right sent it toppling over onto its side. The clones continued to pour blaster bolts into the downed droid, ensuring its destruction.

The remaining two rolled up to the rear of the original formation and unfurled themselves into three-legged contraptions with two arms that each sported twin blaster cannons. Once the droids were steady, they activated their personal shield generators and opened fire.

“Down!” Aram ordered as the first of the droidekas’ fire whizzed overhead.

The clones quickly shifted to a prone position and, knowing the futility of attempting to penetrate a droideka’s personal shield with a blaster rifle, returned to targeting the droids at the head of the column.

With the clones tying up the attention of the B1s and B2s, Fisto sprinted through the formation and, with a flying leap, plunged his lightsaber through the weak point at the top of one droideka’s shield and into its main processor. He then turned to face the other droideka and, raising one hand, threw it down one of the side corridors using the Force, where it smashed against the wall and fell to the floor in a pile of parts.

By this time, the clones had finished dispatching what remained of the droid forces.

“The generator room is this way!” Fisto told his troops, indicating one of the side corridors with his lightsaber.

The clone troopers stood and followed Fisto through a series of twists and turns until the corridor emerged into a large room with equipment on either side of the central walkway.

“I trust your men know where to place the detonators?” Fisto asked Aram, who nodded in response.

Suddenly a B1 battle droid emerged from behind what appeared to be a boiler that was situated next to the walkway. “Hey, you’re not authorized to be in here!”

In a single motion, Fisto ignited his lightsaber and sliced the droid in half lengthwise.

“Be on your guard,” he warned. “We may be about to have company.”

After about a minute, one of the troopers approached Fisto and Aram. “All the detonators are placed, sir.”

“Good,” Fisto declared. “Let’s get out of here.”

Fisto and his troops made their way back to the building’s entrance without incident. Once they had reached a safe distance, Fisto nodded to one of the troopers to detonate the explosives they had planted. The detonators set off a chain reaction in the power station’s generator, causing the whole building to blow itself apart from the inside.

The comlink on Fisto’s wrist gauntlet crackled to life. _“The Separatist shield dome just went down, sir. We’re sending in the extraction team.”_

“What about their artillery?” Fisto asked.

_“Silent, General.”_

“Good. Make sure the supply convoy is moving in,” Fisto instructed.

_“They’re already on the move, General.”_

* * *

“Stay low!” Gree ordered his men. “Give those clankers as small a target to shoot at as possible!”

The trooper to Gree’s left cried out in pain as a blaster bolt slammed into his left leg. Refocusing his attention on the task at hand, Gree continued to crawl up the ridge, firing as he did so.

The volume of incoming fire against Gree and his men suddenly dropped sharply.

“Gunships, sir!” Cooker shouted.

Gree turned onto his back and saw a formation of Low Altitude Assault Transports approaching the battlefield, their nose-mounted laser turrets targeting and eliminating the droids’ repeating blasters.

“And not a moment too soon,” he muttered to himself. Aloud, he ordered, “Fall back to the gunships! Let’s get out of here, men!”

* * *

Aboard another LAAT/i gunship, Aram turned to Fisto and told him, “All extraction teams report they are now clear of the Separatist positions.”

Fisto smiled, tapping his wrist comlink. “Admiral Tausav: glass this place.”

* * *

Master Secura trudged into the command center, followed closely by Clone Commander CC-5052, nicknamed “Bly.”

“Welcome back, Aayla,” Fisto greeted her warmly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“It’s good to see you, Kit,” Secura replied wearily. There was a brief silence before she asked, “That’s it, then?”

Fisto nodded. “Our lifeform scanners aren’t picking up anything inside the shield perimeter.”

“What about droids?” Bly queried.

Fisto shook his head. “No electronic signatures, either.”

Seeing Unduli enter the command center, Fisto turned his attention to her. “I trust everything went well on your end, Luminara?”

Unduli nodded.

“Could I speak to you briefly in private?” Fisto requested.

Unduli nodded again, and the two of them made their way to Unduli’s quarters.

“I’m sorry about what happened with Barriss,” Fisto said once the door fell shut behind them.

Unduli sighed, sinking into the nearest chair. “She did seem a bit…withdrawn the past few weeks, but I had assumed it was just stress. I never would have predicted _this_.”

“I don’t think anyone would have,” Fisto replied, sitting down next to her.

They sat for a moment in silence.

“Not to put you on the spot or anything,” Fisto began abruptly, “but do you think if you’d been closer to your Padawan, you might’ve been able to see this coming and possibly do something to stop it?”

“Well, I feel like Barriss and I were fairly close,” Unduli responded. “It’s sort of unavoidable for a master and Padawan to have a close relationship if they’re going to work together effectively. I mean, in order to be able to work together effectively, you have to understand each other, and in order to understand each other, you have to know a lot about each other, and I feel like it’s hard not to have a close relationship with someone you know that well. But then also at the same time, the master especially has to strike a balance between knowing their Padawan well to be able to work well with them and guide them on the path to knighthood and respecting their Padawan’s privacy, and I feel like Barriss and I were about as close as we could be without me feeling like I was no longer respecting her privacy. Why do you ask?”

“At the last Council meeting before everything went down the tubes, we had a rather extended discussion about what is an appropriate closeness of the master-Padawan relationship, specifically as regards the Attachment Clause,” Fisto explained.

Unduli raised one eyebrow in surprise. “Oh. Well, I—and you’re on the Council, so maybe you can give a more informed input on this, but I always interpreted it to mean ‘don’t get so close that you can’t let go when the time comes.’ I mean, I know that’s kind of vague and it doesn’t really give a prescriptive rule or a test that can be used to determine when a violation has occurred or anything like that, but I feel like if you try to do that, then you’re getting into the business of trying to put labels on interpersonal relationships and say, ‘well, this kind of relationship is okay, and this other kind of relationship is an attachment,’ and if you ask me, interpersonal relationships have too much nuance to be able to do that.

“To use your example, even within the master-Padawan relationship, there’s so much variation that if you were to say to me about two people, ‘oh, they have a master-Padawan relationship,’ unless you mean in the literal sense that one is the other’s Padawan learner, that statement tells me next to nothing about the actual relationship between them,” Unduli continued. “I feel like, as far as determining whether a particular relationship rises to the level of attachment, a lot of it is common sense, most of it is about that nuance that gets lost when you try to classify relationships, and it would probably have to be decided on a case-by-case basis rather than a rule or a test. At least using my interpretation of the Attachment Clause. If the Council has a different interpretation of the Attachment Clause, their interpretation might lend itself better to a cut-and-dried rule, although if that’s the case, you’re probably again losing some of the nuance.”

“So you think that, if the circumstances are right, it’s possible to have a romantic relationship that does not rise to the level of attachment?” Fisto asked.

“Oh, absolutely,” Unduli replied. “Just look at Ki-Adi’s relationships. I mean, I know he was granted a special dispensation or whatever it was, but if you ask me whether his relationships rise to the level of attachment, I would say that I have no reason to foresee that he would have difficulty letting go when the time comes, so no, by my interpretation of the Attachment Clause, I don’t believe his relationships constitute an attachment. Why, has the Council held otherwise?”

“Not formally, I don’t think, but the fact that they felt it necessary to grant a special dispensation in the first place certainly seems to imply that they see all romantic relationships as inherently involving an attachment,” Fisto remarked. “Now, admittedly, I wasn’t on the Council at the time the dispensation was granted, so I don’t know what was going through their minds when they made the decision. Maybe they did it out of an abundance of caution, and maybe they did it for appearances’ sake, but to someone who wasn’t intimately familiar with the situation, it certainly makes it look as if he would be violating the Code if not for having been granted a dispensation.”

Unduli nodded contemplatively. “Again, I feel like any sort of blanket classification system loses a lot of the nuance that is often what determines whether or not a relationship is an attachment as I’ve been interpreting it. As we just mentioned, I’ve seen romantic relationships that are not attachments. I’ve also seen master-Padawan relationships that certainly skirt the boundaries of attachment, even if I’m not necessarily certain they fully rise to that level.”

“So do you think it would be helpful for the Council to issue some sort of clarification on how the Attachment Clause is to be interpreted?” Fisto asked.

“Well, the trouble I potentially see with that is that then you run the risk of getting into classifications again, which loses that nuance that really does make the difference in a lot of instances, so I feel like it’s better left vague so as to leave room for interpretation and analysis of those nuances,” Unduli pointed out. “So actually, maybe it would be better to issue a clarification to that effect that basically defines attachment in very broad terms and says, ‘this is how we’re interpreting the Attachment Clause, use common sense, and if there’s a question about whether a particular relationship constitutes attachment, we’ll answer that on a case-by-case basis.’ I just feel like any system that would try to make the determination on an other than case-by-case basis is going to lose sight of the nuances of the particular relationship under examination, and if you ask me, it’s usually those nuances that are what make the difference between what is and is not attachment.”

“Well, I think—and speaking from my own personal beliefs now, rather than those of the Council—that what we need to do is to move to a permissive system rather than the restrictive one we have now, and what I mean by that is that right now, the Council is interpreting the Attachment Clause to forbid all relationships that don’t meet the criteria for non-attachment,” Fisto replied. “And admittedly, the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the criteria for what constitutes a non-attached relationship are rather ill-defined, but I think the situation would be helped immensely if we were to reinterpret the Attachment Clause to allow all relationships except those that meet the criteria for attachment, even if those criteria were just as ill-defined.”

“So you think that more Jedi being involved in close relationships would be an improvement,” Unduli stated.

“It would improve the Order’s public image,” Fisto clarified. “Right now, the public sees the Jedi as being very different from them, and as a result, the public is reluctant to trust the Jedi. If the public sees more Jedi being involved in close relationships, they’ll have an easier time seeing the similarities between us and them, which will make it easier for them to trust us.”

“Well, while I acknowledge that the Jedi’s ability to serve the people is reliant to some extent on our having the trust of the people we serve, we do need to be careful that we don’t go so far in earning that trust that we compromise who we are as Jedi,” Unduli responded.

“As you say, there’s a balance to be struck there,” Fisto agreed. “The trick is finding where that balance lies.”


	19. Chapter 19

Bail Organa came down the stairs into the sitting room at the Varykino Lake Retreat.

“Morning, Your Highness,” he greeted Neeyutnee.

“Morning, Bail,” she replied. Dormé and Saché, sitting arm-in-arm on the sofa beneath the window, nodded silently in response.

“So where do we go from here?” Organa asked.

Retrac entered the room behind him. “Well, I think Skywalker and Kenobi are going to be safe where they are, so our next order of business is figuring out how to break this to the public.”

Neeyutnee nodded. “Agreed. The big thing is we need to make sure we discredit the cover story Windu has already publicized in a way that doesn’t make us look bad and that doesn’t compromise the secret of Skywalker and Kenobi’s location.”

“Okay, so how do we do that?” Organa asked.

“I think our best bet as far as minimizing the damage to our position is to play up why we waited so long to come forward,” Retrac proposed. “Skywalker and Kenobi are borderline worshipped by the general populace. If they think we did what we did to help them, popular opinion will be in our favor.”

“And what’s more, Windu will almost certainly face backlash if the public thinks he’s after them,” Neeyutnee pointed out.

“The thing I’m concerned about is the potential for political backlash against the Jedi as a whole,” Organa stated. “Many of my colleagues in the Senate are less than pleased with how the Jedi have been handling this war. If the Senate thinks the Jedi are more focused on ideological infighting than they are on the war effort—”

“We can still turn that to our advantage,” Retrac interrupted. “Paint Windu as the instigator. Tell them that Skywalker and Kenobi were just minding their own business content to let sleeping mynocks lie and Windu was the one who poked the rathtar and started this whole mess.”

“To which Windu would reply, and truthfully so, that Skywalker and Kenobi were in violation of the Jedi Code,” Organa countered.

“But when the public finds out the specific provision of the Jedi Code—and they will—that provision, and Windu by his association with it, will become wildly unpopular with public opinion,” Retrac noted.

“But not necessarily with the Senate,” Organa responded. “Even if the provision is unpopular, it’s still on the books, and Windu is still well within his authority to enforce it. As much support as their position may have in the court of public opinion, the court of law is on Windu’s side.”

“Well, just because he has the courts on his side, doesn’t necessarily mean he has the Senate on his side,” Neeyutnee observed. “He’s still choosing to enforce it. I would not be surprised if a lot of senators will think his priorities are misplaced when they find out about this.”

“As I said,” Organa replied, “the trick is getting it to reflect badly on the conservatives without bringing the rest of the Jedi Order down with them, a task complicated by the fact that most people aren’t aware of the internal segmentation within the Order.”

“Well, thanks to the Republic Propaganda Office, most people consider Skywalker and Kenobi separately from the rest of the Jedi,” Saché pointed out. “We call attention to the fact that Windu’s little Sith hunt—and that’s another thing. Don’t mince words. The public doesn’t like politician speak. If we call it like we see it, that establishes a rapport with the populace. They see that we’re not afraid to step on a few toes in order to get things done. Anyhow, as I was saying, we call attention to the fact that Windu’s little Sith hunt is keeping Skywalker and Kenobi off the battlefield where they could be doing something about the _actual_ Sith.”

“See, the problem with that is firstly that Skywalker and Kenobi aren’t the only progressives in the Jedi Order and secondly that most of the moderates are also fairly reasonable,” Organa countered.

“You said the public is largely unaware of the factions within the Order?” Dormé asked. Seeing Organa nod, she continued, “Then we make them aware of it. Since they’ll be hearing it from us first, we control what they hear and how they hear it, and therefore we control the public perception of the situation.”

“Well, the thing we would need to be careful of if we were to do that is that if we come off as being too strongly in support of the progressive agenda, we run the risk of alienating the moderates among the Jedi Order, three of whom are members of the High Council,” Organa noted.

“Or you could just arrange for an anonymous leak and let Windu light his own funeral pyre,” a new voice suggested.

The group turned toward the sound of the voice and found themselves staring into the face of Cad Bane. Immediately, Saché leapt from the couch and twisted Bane’s right arm behind his back. Grasping Saché’s forearm with his right hand, he reached his left hand behind himself and pressed a button on his wrist gauntlet that sent a series of electrical shocks through Saché’s body, causing her to writhe in pain and release her grip as she crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Dormé was beside her in an instant, cradling her lover’s body in her arms.

“Oh, how _touching_,” Bane simpered.

Neeyutnee, meanwhile, had drawn her comlink. “Captain Jannick,” she spoke into it.

With an exaggerated sigh of frustration, Bane drew his blaster pistol and shot the comlink out of Neeyutnee’s hands. “On his way back to the mainland to inform the Royal Advisory Council of your kidnapping. Now if the five of you are quite _done_, we have places to be.”

After an exchange of glances, Organa and Retrac slowly stood from their respective couches, hands raised.

* * *

Jannick sprinted through the halls of Theed Royal Palace and burst into the Royal Advisory Council meeting room. Governor Bibble, occupying the position at the head of the table in Neeyutnee’s absence, looked up in concern. “Is something wrong, Captain?”

“The queen and Senators Organa and Amidala have been kidnapped by Cad Bane on behalf of the Separatists,” Jannick reported.

The councilors gasped at the news. “You were unable to prevent their capture?” Bibble asked.

Jannick nodded. “Bane also instructed me to pass along a message from Count Dooku.”

Bibble’s eyes narrowed. “And what was this message exactly?”

“Tell the chancellor he’s next.”

* * *

Palpatine stood at a podium in the Senate Media Center with reporters from the major HoloNet outlets assembled before him.

“My friends, fellow citizens of the Republic, I stand before you today with a heavy heart,” he said in a weary voice. “Earlier this morning, two of my distinguished colleagues, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan and Senator Padmé Amidala from my own home planet of Naboo, along with Naboo’s Queen Neeyutnee and their aides, were kidnapped from Senator Amidala’s private retreat in the Lake Country of Naboo.”

“Are the Separatists believed to be responsible for this attack?” a reporter shouted.

Palpatine nodded. “The attack was carried out by the notorious bounty hunter Cad Bane, who has accepted contracts for the Separatist Alliance on multiple prior occasions.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “Found at the scene of the crime was a note indicating that I myself would be Bane’s next victim. In light of this threat, my security advisor believes that the safest course of action is for me to remove myself to a safehouse and conduct my business from there. Despite my objections that we cannot allow ourselves to be ruled by fear, my security advisor is adamant that, I quote, ‘your safety is more important than some political statement.’ I sincerely hope, as I’m sure all of you do, that this threat will be resolved quickly so that I can be back on Coruscant as soon as possible.”

* * *

“Okay, so they don’t appear to be on any of the known worlds along the Lutrillian Cross,” Jesse stated.

“Try Shuldene?” Fives suggested. “It’s uninhabited except for the occasional tourist visit, so as long as they don’t put down near any of the giant dead sea serpents the tourists come to gawk at, they should be safe from discovery.”

Ahsoka nodded. “It’s worth a look,” she agreed. Noticing Rex’s pursed lips and thoughtful expression, she asked, “Something on your mind, Rex?”

There was a long pause before the clone captain responded, “I know you’re the Force-sensitive and not me, but…somehow I’ve got a funny feeling we’re looking too far north.”

Ahsoka nodded again. “Alright, we’ll check Shuldene and then head…south. Artoo!”

The little droid came rolling out of the cargo hold and stopped in front of Ahsoka, who slid a datatape into his reader.

“Fast-forward to the arrival of the Separatist fleet,” she instructed.

Artoo burbled an acknowledgement, and the sensor tapes of the battle they had been reviewing earlier appeared out of his holoprojector.

“What are you thinking, Commander?” Fives asked.

“We know Tiin was intending to fire on them, but we don’t know if he ever did,” Ahsoka explained. “If they were hit, that could potentially narrow our search to planets with a repair depot.”

“Well, if Tiin did take a shot, wouldn’t he have fired on the _Heart_, not the _Envoy_?” Jesse asked.

Ahsoka shook her head. “When we first arrived, I gave the instruction that both ships were to be considered targets, although my instructions were to capture intact, not destroy, so I don’t know whether Tiin’s instruction to his half of the fleet was to target both ships or just the one.”

“Okay, so thinking as Windu—because we’re fairly certain Tiin’s taking his orders from Windu, right?” Rex put in. Seeing the others nod, he continued, “Okay, so thinking as Windu, what are the potential gains and losses from destroying the _Envoy_, keeping in mind he didn’t know the generals were aboard?”

“Destroying the ship denies Organa its use in future resupply attempts,” Jesse said.

“But if you let it get away, you can track it back to its base and bring down the entire supply chain instead of just taking out the one ship,” Rex countered.

“Only if the supply ship’s pilots don’t find the tracker,” Fives pointed out. “If they find it, you’ve let the ship get away for no gain.”

“Whoa, hang on, guys,” Ahsoka interrupted. “We have the sensor tapes from the battle, we can check to see whether the _Envoy_ was fired on and debate reasoning later.”

“Sorry, sir,” Rex said sheepishly. “Just got a little carried away, that’s all.”

“I understand completely,” Ahsoka assured him.

Rex nodded in acknowledgement. “Roll the tape, Artoo.”

As the recording began to play back, Jesse asked, “If they did get hit, will we be able to tell from the sensor readings whether they were the intended target?”

“If it was a Republic ship that fired the shot, yes,” Ahsoka replied. “These are the sensor tapes from the _Resolute_, but I also have copies of the sensor tapes from every Republic ship in the task force, so once we identify the ship that fired the shot, I can pull up its sensor tapes and check the targeting computer logs to see what they were locked onto when they took the shot. If it was a Confederate ship that took the shot, I don’t really care whether the _Envoy_ was their intended target.”

Fives, who had been keeping one eye on the recording as he listened to their discussion, suddenly shouted, “Okay, stop it there, Artoo!”

All four turned their attention to the holoprojection, which showed a turbolaser blast striking the _Stellar Envoy_’s dorsal surface as several more bore down on its position.

“Alright, run it back at quarter speed,” Ahsoka instructed.

She and the clones watched the projection as the volley of turbolaser fire slowly retreated back to its point of origin.

“The _Impavid_,” Rex muttered darkly.

“Okay, Artoo, run it again so I can see just how much damage we’re talking here,” Ahsoka requested.

As the tape played forward once more, the _Impavid_’s main turbolaser batteries were brought to bear on the _Stellar Envoy_. When the fourth bolt in the volley struck the _Envoy_’s dorsal gun turret, Ahsoka gave a heavy sigh. “Dammit.”

Rex shot her a sidelong glance. “How bad?”

Ahsoka let her head drop into her hands. “‘Bad’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. The _Envoy_’s dorsal turret was hit. If there was someone in that turret when it was hit, the odds of them having survived would be next to nil.”

“And whoever’s left would not be happy,” Jesse remarked.

“And they wouldn’t realize you’ve switched sides,” Fives realized, pointing at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka rubbed her temple in frustration. “We may be screwed.”

“Focus, Commander,” Rex told her. “We know they were hit, which means they probably need repairs, and probably also a mechanic who won’t ask questions. Keeping in mind we’ve already ruled out Gerrenthum, where does that leave us?”

Artoo’s holoprojector flickered momentarily as the recreation of the battle was replaced by a map of the Western Reaches.

Ahsoka’s eyes immediately narrowed in on one of the pale blue dots on the map. “Bespin.”

* * *

Windu stalked into the Temple Communications Chamber and made his way into the sub-chamber reserved for confidential High Council business. Seating himself in front of the holoprojector, he pressed the intercom switch. “Get me Master Kolar on Saleucami,” he ordered the technician.

_“Right away, sir,”_ the technician’s voice filtered through the intercom.

After about a minute, the holoprojector activated. “Yes, Master Windu?” Kolar asked by way of greeting.

Windu wasted no time in getting to the reason for his call. “What’s the status of your investigation?”

“We’ve determined that Barriss Offee was responsible for the attack on Rancisis’ funeral,” Kolar informed him. “Unfortunately, we were unable to discover this in time to prevent her from leading her troops into an ambush as they attempted to infiltrate the Separatist lines and destroy the shield generator.”

“So Offee is now a Separatist agent?” Windu asked.

“_Was_ a Separatist agent, more than likely,” Kolar replied. “The destruction of the shield generator was successful despite the ambush, and Admiral Tausav’s forces conducted an orbital bombardment of the Separatist positions.”

“And you believe she was killed in the bombardment,” Windu finished.

“We recovered the body of a Mirialan female whose height and build match Offee’s,” Kolar told him. “The face was disfigured beyond recognition, so we’re still waiting on a DNA match to confirm the ID.”

“Alright, keep me posted,” Windu ordered. “With the shield generator down and the Separatist forces decimated by orbital bombardment, does that mean the 327th has been reunited with the main Republic force?”

Kolar nodded. “It does.”

“Then what of your other investigation?” Windu asked.

“Fisto spent the evening with Unduli discussing possible reasons for Offee’s betrayal,” Kolar reported. “It seems Master Fisto is more radical a progressive than he lets on in Council chambers.”

Windu grunted. “Unsurprising, but nothing we can go after him with. What about Secura?”

“Retired to her quarters shortly after she returned to Republic headquarters and hasn’t left since,” Kolar replied.

“Has Fisto joined her in her quarters?” Windu asked.

Kolar shook his head. “No, he’s been busy directing preparations for the mop-up crew.”

“Alright, continue to monitor the situation,” Windu instructed.

“Will do. If I may suggest, though?”

“Yes, what is it, Agen?”

“Recall them to Coruscant and give them a few days’ leave,” Kolar proposed. “They may be more inclined to let their guard down away from the front lines, and besides that, having three generals assigned to what is at this point a cleanup job would be difficult to justify to the Senate.”

Windu hummed in thought. “You think Unduli will be okay running the cleanup crew on her own given that her Padawan just betrayed the Order?”

“I believe so, yes,” Kolar responded.

“Okay, I’ll transmit the orders when we’re done here,” Windu told him. “Now, with regards to the Skywalker situation.”

“Yes?”

“The chancellor gave this press conference about an hour ago,” Windu stated. He slid a holodisc into the reader on the console and played it back for Kolar to hear.

“What do you make of it?” Windu asked once the recording ended.

“Well, we know Skywalker has a close relationship with the chancellor,” Kolar mused, “and if their allies were allegedly ‘in Separatist captivity’ and thus out of the public eye, it would give them more freedom to actively aid Skywalker and company in evading our patrols.”

Before Windu could respond, the intercom light flashed. “Yes, what is it?” he asked the technician.

_“Master Tiin is on the line for you. Shall I have him hold until you’re done with Master Kolar?”_

Windu considered this for a moment. “No, patch him into the current call.”

_“Yes, Master Windu.”_

A second holoprojector activated. “I take it you saw the chancellor’s press conference?” Windu asked Tiin.

Tiin nodded. “The Naboo government is very good at faking panic,” he said dryly.

“Probably because most of them aren’t in on the plot,” Windu replied. “What about the upper echelons? How are they reacting?”

“Bibble’s taken over the running of the government with Neeyutnee indisposed,” Tiin informed him.

“He’s been planetary governor through four administrations,” Kolar noted. “Strikes me as the type of man loyal to the government rather than its leader.”

“So you don’t think he’s in on the plot either?” Windu asked.

“I’d say it’s unlikely,” Kolar responded.

Windu turned his attention back to Tiin. “What about others in the upper echelons of the government?”

“Well, the head of the security forces is demanding to know, I quote, ‘how in the six gates of Chaos Cad Bane managed to get on and off the planet without anyone noticing,’ and he seems to be laying all the blame on us despite the fact that his people didn’t notice it either,” Tiin reported.

Windu scoffed. “I wouldn’t expect he would have noticed, since in all likelihood, Bane was never there to begin with, and this is all a ruse to get Organa and the queen out of the public eye so they can assist Skywalker more directly.”

“Now, hang on, yes, Skywalker and the chancellor are close, but, at least in my estimation, not so close that it would justify Palpatine sticking his neck out for Skywalker like this,” Tiin interrupted.

Windu frowned at this. “We’ve long suspected the chancellor may be a Sith puppet. You think having Palpatine aid Skywalker in evading us is part of a play by the Sith master to set himself up to Skywalker as an alternative to the Jedi?”

“It would explain why the situation was set up such that Palpatine has also been taken out of the public eye,” Tiin reasoned.

“So that he can be a mediator between Skywalker and the Sith master,” Windu finished. “I’ll talk to Palpatine’s security people, see if I can’t get one of them to tell us where his bolthole is.”

“Should I instruct our search crews to also attempt to locate Organa and his people?” Tiin asked. “It’ll be harder than trying to locate Skywalker and Kenobi because we don’t know what kind of ship they’re flying, but I think it’d be worthwhile to keep an eye out nonetheless.”

“Do it,” Windu ordered. “Speaking of the search for Skywalker and Kenobi, any luck?”

Tiin shook his head. “None of the ship dealers or spaceport authorities we’ve talked to thus far have reported seeing a ship matching the _Sundered Heart_’s description.”

“Alright, continue searching,” Windu directed. “Any idea how much ground we’ve covered thus far?”

“About a quarter of Hutt Space,” Tiin responded. “If I may, though, I know we agreed Hutt Space is their most likely destination, but we could be wrong. If, for whatever reason, they decided _not_ to ditch the _Sundered Heart_, they might have gone for a sparsely-populated agricultural world hoping to live off the land until things die down.”

“Okay, continue investigating Hutt Space, but also start compiling a list of potential hideout worlds and look into those,” Windu instructed.

Tiin nodded. “Will do.”

“Any word from Tano about tracking down that freighter?” Windu asked.

“Nothing yet,” Tiin replied, “but Admiral Tarkin reported that we scored a few hits on it during the battle, so they couldn’t have gone far without having to put in for repairs.”

Windu nodded. “So you both know what you need to do from here?”

“Yes, Master Windu,” Kolar and Tiin responded in unison.

“Good. Keep me posted,” Windu ordered, terminating the connection.

* * *

Obi-Wan entered the quarters he shared with Sabé, whom he found lying in bed with the covers pulled up to her shoulders.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

Sabé fixed him with a hard stare. “Why can’t you two just get along?”

Obi-Wan’s brow knit in confusion. “Who two?”

“You and Padmé. Don’t play dumb with me, _Master Jedi_,” Sabé shot back. “I know you’re not particularly fond of politicians, but I thought Padmé was your friend.”

“She is, she just doesn’t understand the situation,” Obi-Wan countered. “The skifflin is irrevocably out of the sack. The only way Anakin and I will be able to return to the Jedi, and the only way she will be able to return to the Senate, is if Mace Windu is removed from his position of power within the Jedi Order.”

“But the four of us can’t do that on our own,” Sabé protested.

“We’ll find a way,” Obi-Wan assured her. “We have to.”

“Will you _let me finish?_” Sabé snapped. “Windu can’t justify continuing the search indefinitely. The longer we’re not found, the more the Senate will see the search effort as a waste of resources and order it to be scaled back or stopped. Once that happens, we’ll be able to safely contact Bail and enlist his help in bringing down Windu. Why can’t we wait for that to happen? Why do you insist on doing it now with just the four of us?”

“Because of the balance of power on the Jedi Council,” Obi-Wan explained. “As of now, there are eight voting members, excluding myself. Three fall strongly for the conservatives and two for the progressives. That leaves three swing votes. The longer we wait to take Windu out, the longer he has to work over the moderates and convince them of our guilt.”

“Based on what? The testimony of an emotionally distressed Padawan?” Sabé asked skeptically. “Sounds like a pretty tenuous case to me.”

“Well, you have to understand, Sabé, this isn’t about justice for Windu,” Obi-Wan replied. “It’s a character assassination. He doesn’t care whether we’re guilty or not, he just wants us thrown out of the Order on our backsides because we represent a threat to the conservative ideology. Ahsoka just provided a convenient excuse for him to do so. He will not hesitate to fabricate evidence against us if he thinks he can get away with it.”

“Okay, but even so, we’ve got next to no chance of taking him out with just the resources currently at our disposal,” Sabé pointed out. “Look, talk to Anakin, see if he can configure something to get us tapped into the HoloNet. That way, we can start gathering intelligence, and perhaps an opening will present itself.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to him,” Obi-Wan agreed, turning on his heel.

“And Obi-Wan?” Sabé called as he was about to leave.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “Yes?”

“Apologize to Padmé for yelling at her like that,” Sabé ordered. “She was just trying to offer perspective on the matter.”

Obi-Wan harrumphed softly. “Yes, Mother,” he drawled sarcastically, slamming the door shut behind him.

Sabé sighed. _What has gotten into him these past few days?_ she thought.


	20. Chapter 20

_“_Twilight, _this is Cloud City Flight Control, you are cleared for landing on Platform 327. Over.”_

“Cloud City Flight Control, this is the _Twilight_, acknowledge clearance to land at Platform 327. Out,” Ahsoka repeated back.

Ahsoka guided the _Twilight_ gently onto the platform and lowered the boarding ramp. She then stood from the pilot’s chair and made her way down the ramp, the three clones falling into step behind her.

As they exited the ship, they saw three figures striding out onto the platform to meet them. In the middle was a tall woman whose auburn hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She wore a dark maroon dress shirt and black trousers tucked into knee-high leather boots of a matching color, and a powder blue cape flowed behind her. The two men on either side of her wore the uniforms of the Bespin Wing Guard.

“General Tano,” the woman greeted her, holding out her hand. As they shook, she introduced herself, “Baroness Administrator Ellisa Shallence. What can Cloud City do for the Republic?”

“We believe Generals Skywalker and Kenobi are being held aboard a YT-1300 freighter by the name of _Stellar Envoy_,” Ahsoka explained. “We suspect it was heading this way.”

Frowning, Shallence spun on her heel, and the group of seven made their way into the city’s interior. “I thought the generals and the rest of the dignitaries were being held aboard the captured _Sundered Heart_.”

“We ambushed a rendezvous three days ago at which the generals were transferred from the _Heart_ to the _Envoy_, probably to separate them from the dignitaries so that even if the generals escape, they still have the dignitaries as a bargaining chip,” Ahsoka informed her as they walked.

Shallence turned to look at her. “I thought General Windu said the Separatists were attempting to resupply the _Sundered Heart_.”

“That’s the story we’re publicizing because we don’t want the Separatists to know we’re looking for the _Envoy_,” Ahsoka replied.

By this time, the group had reached the Wing Guard command center. Shallence strode to an unoccupied computer terminal and sat down. “So you said it’s a YT-1300 freighter named _Stellar Envoy_?”

Ahsoka nodded. “Right. I need to know whether it’s been through here in the past 72 hours. If it did come through, it probably would have put in for repairs. We managed to score a few hits on it during the ambush.”

Shallence keyed a command into the computer. “Sorry, General. If it was here, any record of it’s been wiped from the computer.”

Ahsoka sighed. “Alright, well, thank you for your time, Baroness Administrator. We must be off to continue our search.”

“General, can I ask you a question and have you answer honestly?” Shallence asked.

“Well, I suppose it depends on the question,” Ahsoka replied evenly.

“Do you think we still have a shot at winning this war? I mean, first with the generals getting captured, and now Senators Organa and Amidala—”

“What? Wh—whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. Organa and Amidala have been captured too?” Ahsoka asked incredulously. Seeing Shallence nod, she continued, “When did this happen?”

“The chancellor announced it at a press conference about ten this morning,” Shallence told her. “Organa, Amidala, the queen, and their aides were all captured, and the security guard was left behind to deliver the message that the chancellor is supposedly next on the Separatists’ hit list.”

“Shavit,” Ahsoka swore, turning to leave and motioning for the clones to follow. “This is worse than I thought. Come on, Rex, we gotta get back on the trail.”

The four of them made their way back to the _Twilight_, where Ahsoka sat down at the controls and began to warm up the engines.

“Okay, people, if Windu has Organa and the queen, it’s only a matter of time before he has Anakin and Obi-Wan’s location, which means we have to find them and warn them before he does, and he’s got the advantage of knowing where to look, whereas we’re just blundering about hoping to find them—” Ahsoka started rambling.

“Whoa, hold your strills, Commander,” Rex interrupted. “I’d be right behind you, but according to the Baroness Administrator, this isn’t coming from Windu—it’s coming from the chancellor. Now, if you’ve got a compelling explanation as to why the chancellor would go along with this, you’ll get no further argument out of me, but I just don’t see why the chancellor would be willing to play ball here. What’s his angle?”

“Well, even before that, if Windu thinks the chancellor’s a Sith puppet, why would he even tell the chancellor what’s really happening?” Fives asked. “Surely he doesn’t want that information getting back to the Sith.”

Ahsoka hummed. “Okay. The chancellor’s a friend of Anakin’s. Do you think he would have been willing to give Organa an excuse to disappear so he can move more freely in helping Anakin evade Windu?”

“Again, what’s his angle?” Rex questioned. “The chancellor’s not really the type to do something like that unless there’s something in it for him.”

“And the chancellor’s not been involved in this until now,” Jesse pointed out. “Why would he jump in all of a sudden when things are seemingly at a lull?”

“If you want my completely honest opinion, Commander, I think we have to treat this as the genuine article unless and until we uncover evidence to the contrary,” Rex told her.

Ahsoka nodded slowly. “Okay, so how do we respond?”

“We tell Windu that we think it’s genuine, which will force him to pull resources away from the search for the generals—” Rex proposed.

Ahsoka held up a hand for him to stop. “Well, here’s the problem I see with that. Organa and his people have been helping Anakin and Obi-Wan evade capture. If Windu wants to find Anakin and Obi-Wan, he’ll be more than happy to let Organa and the queen languish in Separatist captivity where they can’t help Anakin and Obi-Wan.”

“Well, the Senate is going to be putting pressure on him to find them, especially if they’re threatening to go after the chancellor next,” Fives countered. “He can’t just ignore them.”

“Except for the fact that he can,” Ahsoka replied. “Remember, the Senate thinks Anakin and Obi-Wan are also in Separatist captivity. He can claim to the Senate that Anakin and Obi-Wan are higher-value hostages and thus finding them is more important than finding Organa and the queen, so that has to take priority.”

“And the Senate can’t object because they don’t know any better,” Rex grumbled.

“So with Organa out of the way, Windu can basically keep feeding the Senate bantha poodoo for as long as he likes, is that what I’m hearing?” Jesse asked.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Ahsoka agreed. “Ideas, people?”

“Organa presumably knows where the generals are,” Fives reasoned. “Depending how long the Separatists have had them, they may have already been able to extract that information, which again means we need to find the generals before they do. There are only four other worlds on this hyperlane. I say we start by checking those four and branch out along the Corellian Trade Spine if we still haven’t found them.”

Ahsoka nodded. “Works for me.”

* * *

Windu had just arrived at the Senate Building when his comlink chimed. “Yes, what is it?”

Stass Allie’s blue-tinted visage appeared out of the holoprojector. “Dooku’s on the move. The droids are prepping his ship for takeoff. Shall I attempt to place a tracker?”

“Affirmative,” Windu replied. “Contact me for further instructions once he arrives at his destination.”

“Will do,” Allie said, terminating the connection.

Stowing the comlink back in its pouch on his utility belt, Windu entered the building and quickly made his way to the Senate Guard command post.

“Can I help you, Master Jedi?” the desk sergeant asked.

“Yes, if possible, I’d like to review the chancellor’s security arrangements and make sure everything is up to snuff,” Windu requested.

“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible, sir, the only people who know the arrangements are the Red Guards, and they’re all on the detail,” the desk sergeant replied.

“Okay, can you at least tell me where they are so we can increase patrols in that sector?” Windu asked.

“Don’t have that information either, sorry, sir,” the desk sergeant informed him. “And before you ask, no, we don’t have a means of contacting them.”

Reaching out with the Force and sensing no deception from the desk sergeant, Windu nodded brusquely, turned on his heel, and departed.

* * *

Anakin slipped an arm around his wife’s shoulders and tilted his head to face her. “Hey, Angel?”

“Yeah, Ani?” she replied drowsily.

“What is it with you and Obi-Wan lately?”

Padmé sighed. “He’s target-fixating on Mace Windu. He seems to think we have to take him out ourselves.”

Anakin raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Isn’t that what Bail and his people are supposed to be doing?”

Padmé nodded. “Yes, but…I think because of the way the Senate’s been handling the war, a lot of Jedi have subconsciously started to feel like they have to do everything themselves.”

“I really hope this war ends soon,” Anakin told her. “Not just for us, but also for the Jedi as a whole.”

“I thought you weren’t exactly the Order’s biggest fan?” Padmé asked.

“Well, no, but not because of what they do for the galaxy, it’s more of an issue with how they conduct themselves. I can definitely still understand why we need them,” Anakin explained. “What I’m worried about is this: most Jedi spend about ten to twelve years as Padawans. We’re now going to have an entire generation of Jedi for whom almost a quarter of that, if not more, will have been spent on a wartime footing.”

“And because of that, you’re worried they’ll be more likely to try to resolve situations through force rather than diplomacy,” Padmé finished.

“Not only that, but also, we’ve had so many Jedi go Dark since this war started that I’m worried this generation of Padawans will find it harder to trust, especially the ones who started their apprenticeships during the war,” Anakin added.

Anakin’s comlink chimed. Raising two fingers toward the bedside table, he reached out with the Force and pulled the comlink to his hand. His expression darkened when he saw the caller ID.

“Who is it, Ani?” Padmé asked.

_Obi-Wan_, Anakin spoke over their bond, _Ahsoka’s trying to contact me on my comlink._

_I wouldn’t answer if I were you,_ Obi-Wan responded. _She could be trying to trace the signal and get a fix on our location._

“Who is it, Ani?” Padmé asked again.

“Ahsoka,” he muttered.

“Maybe Windu’s decided he’s willing to deal and she’s calling to discuss terms,” Padmé suggested.

“Wouldn’t we have heard about it from Bail if he’d managed to get Windu to back off, though?” Anakin countered.

“Not necessarily,” Padmé replied. “I’ll admit it’s unlikely, but he could have made the decision on his own without Bail having leaned on him.”

Anakin sighed. _Against my better judgment, I’m going to answer this,_ he told Obi-Wan. _Do you want to be here when I do?_

_Yeah, I’ll be there in a moment._

It was only a few seconds later that Obi-Wan swept into the room, cloak billowing behind him, seated himself on the edge of the bed, and nodded for Anakin to answer the call.

“Yeah, what is it?” Anakin asked irascibly.

“Skyguy,” Ahsoka said, “I need your help.”

Anakin’s eyes narrowed. “You betrayed my trust, tried to kill me _and_ Obi-Wan _and_ Padmé and Sabé, and now you have the nerve to come out here like nothing’s changed and ask me for my _help?_”

“Look, Windu’s gone rogue,” Ahsoka interrupted. “I wanted you brought before the Council and tried for violating the Code. Windu just wants you gone and is using the information I gave him as a convenient excuse to do it. He played me for a fool, Skyguy.”

“How do I know you’re not trying to lull me into a false sense of security?” Anakin asked.

The image shook as Ahsoka handed off the comlink. “Because I would never have gone along with that, sir,” Rex told him.

Anakin gave a curt nod. Obi-Wan, however, was not yet convinced. “Okay, if that’s so, why did you abide by Windu’s shoot-to-kill order?”

“I didn’t,” Ahsoka replied. “I never received such an order. Look, half the ships in the task force were under my command, the others were under Master Tiin’s command. It was his half of the fleet that fired turbolasers against you. My half of the fleet was under orders to disable your ship with ion cannons, board it, and take you into custody.”

“You didn’t know in advance that Tiin’s half of the fleet would be shooting to kill?” Obi-Wan pressed.

Ahsoka nodded. “That’s correct.”

Obi-Wan considered this for a moment. “You have eyes on the landing area?”

“We do,” Ahsoka replied.

“Alright, join us aboard our ship and we’ll discuss how to proceed from here,” Obi-Wan instructed

“Understood,” Ahsoka responded. “We are beginning our descent.”

Once the _Twilight_ landed, she reported, “Okay. We are disembarking.”

“Copy that,” Obi-Wan replied. “I’ll meet you at the base of the boarding ramp.”

“Will do, Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka replied, terminating the connection.

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin. “We probably don’t want to do this in your bedroom.”

Anakin nodded. “That little lounge area off the forward cargo hold?”

“That should work,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Can you two let Sabé know on your way there?”

“Yeah, sure thing,” Anakin responded.

The group of eight had soon assembled itself in the lounge.

“How long do you think we have before Windu realizes you’ve gone off-script?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Probably a couple of days at least,” Ahsoka guessed. “I claimed to Admiral Yularen that I’m trying to hunt down the origin of your supply ship so that we can prevent you from receiving further resupplies.”

“And since you weren’t able to plant a tracking device, who knows how long that might take,” Anakin finished.

Ahsoka nodded. “We have a bigger problem, though. The chancellor held a press conference this morning at which he stated that Senator Organa and Queen Neeyutnee have been captured by the Separatists.”

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a worried look. It was Obi-Wan who spoke. “And you think that really means they’ve been captured by Windu.”

“That we’re not entirely certain,” Ahsoka responded. “What we _are_ fairly certain of is that the chancellor _thinks_ it’s the Seps that have them.”

“There’s no question of that, Windu certainly wouldn’t have brought the chancellor into his confidence, but what makes you think there’s a possibility it actually is true?” Anakin asked.

“The chancellor did not say how he came into this information,” Ahsoka explained.

“And if the Council’s right that the Sith master is pulling his strings, you think he might have gotten the information straight from the gualaar’s mouth?” Anakin pressed.

“So from what I’m hearing, we need two basic plans: one for if the Separatists have them and one for if Windu has them,” Obi-Wan jumped in.

“And we need a plan for how to figure out which one is the case,” Rex added.

“Well, the first thing to take into account for both plans is that whoever has them, they’re almost certainly being kept incommunicado, which means we won’t get any advance warning if this location is compromised,” Ahsoka pointed out.

“Not from Bail, at least,” Anakin countered. “If they don’t realize you’re here, they might tell you.”

Ahsoka tilted her head in thought. “I suppose it’s possible, but I wouldn’t rely on it. I think we still need to make our plans on the basis that we won’t know in advance if we’re about to have company.”

Remembering the point her handmaiden had made the previous day, Padmé spoke up, “Who among the search force knows that we’re no longer aboard the _Sundered Heart_?”

“That I’ve told? Just us four,” Ahsoka replied, motioning to herself and the three clones. “Whether anyone else figured it out on their own, I have no idea.”

“How did you figure it out?” Obi-Wan asked.

“I happened to notice the _Envoy_ jump to hyperspace, and as soon as it did, I felt Master Skywalker’s Force presence become more distant,” Ahsoka explained.

“And what is the likelihood you would have sensed that if not for our training bond?” Anakin questioned.

“Not much, but I’m just a Padawan,” Ahsoka responded. “Master Tiin is much stronger in the Force than I am, not to mention he’s an Iktotchi.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Anakin muttered. “The Iktotchi are natural telepaths even without the Force.”

“Yes, but—and not being a Jedi, I don’t know the answer to this—how much would he have been paying attention to that in the middle of a battle?” Rex asked. “Without having the advantage of this training bond that you and the commander have, would he have been able to pick out your presence from the tens of thousands of others out there?”

“Unfortunately, he probably would have,” Obi-Wan told the captain. “As many presences as were out there, only four of them were Force-sensitive: me, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Tiin himself. The question isn’t whether he would have noticed our departure, it’s whether he would have noticed which ship we departed on. Did you happen to notice how long the _Sundered Heart_ stuck around once we left?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “Let me go get Artoo from the _Twilight_ and we’ll check the tapes.”

“I’ll get him, Commander,” Fives offered.

Ahsoka nodded. “Thank you.”

As Fives left the room, Obi-Wan said, “That actually brings up another consideration, now that you mention it. We’ll be able to make a much quicker getaway if we can get all eight of us onto one ship, but I don’t know whether that’s feasible given the size of the two ships we have to work with.”

Ahsoka held up a finger in thought. “Hang on. It’s just now occurring to me that no one outside of the eight of us knows that I’ve switched sides. We’ve been approaching this from the standpoint of the eight of us moving forward as a single unified group. What if, instead, the clones and I return to the fleet claiming to have bombed out and work to sabotage the search efforts from the inside?”

“Which would allow us to determine who has Bail and his people and would allow you to provide us with an advance warning if we’re about to be descended upon,” Anakin finished. “I like it.”

“Which makes it all the more important that we determine how likely it is that Tiin picked up on the switch, because if he did, he might suspect that Ahsoka’s having second thoughts,” Obi-Wan pointed out.

“So if we check the tapes and we decide we think Tiin might have picked up on it, how do we proceed?” Rex asked.

“Well, the general public still wouldn’t know about any of this, so our best bet would probably be for the four of you to keep cruising around the Rim and see if you can figure out whether the Separatists really do have Senator Organa and the queen,” Sabé spoke up.

“Let’s worry about how to proceed once we know what we’re dealing with,” Ahsoka suggested. “While we wait on Fives to get back, I’d like to take a moment to clear the air with the four of you.”

“Oh, this should be good,” Anakin snarked.

Ahsoka shot him a withering glare. “Look, when you guys first told me about…this,” she waved her hand in their general direction, “it didn’t seem to me that it was negatively affecting your ability to carry out your duties as Jedi, so I didn’t have a problem with it. Then when you guys go running off to Naboo under false pretenses, I wasn’t exactly comfortable with straight-up lying to the Council, but you were on leave anyway, so it still for me wasn’t interfering with your duties at that point.”

She bit her lip before continuing, “Where it becomes an issue for me is you refusing the movement order to Saleucami. I mean, I understand Padmé’s sick and you want to be with her and take care of her, but…there’s a war on here, Masters! In my book, that _has_ to take precedence! So, while I wouldn’t say I’m opposed to attachment generally, what becomes problematic for me is when the attachment interferes with your being able to carry out your duties to the Order and to the Republic, and that is why I turned you in.”

“Well, that still—and forgive me for butting in here, Commander, but that still doesn’t address the fact there’s no way in _haran_ they should be getting sent back to the front less than three days after returning from an eight-month deployment,” Rex interrupted.

“Which, I acknowledge that, but because there are no regulations regarding minimum time between front-line deployments, it’s ultimately beside the point,” Ahsoka replied. “Now, back to the point I was originally trying to make. What I failed to consider in reporting you is that Windu and the rest of the traditionalists view the Jedi Code as the be-all end-all of our way of life, and I underestimated the lengths they would go to in order to protect that. Where I saw a need for corrective action to be taken, they saw an opportunity to silence the two loudest voices calling for modernization.”

“Now, wait a minute,” Padmé cut in, looking between Anakin and Obi-Wan in bewilderment. “This is the first I’m hearing about any movement order—you told me this was about Windu framing you for being complicit in bombing Master Rancisis’ funeral!” she accused Obi-Wan.

“I—” Obi-Wan held up his hands defensively.

Padmé waved him off. “Do you mean to tell me, Ahsoka, that if these two _blockheads_ had just gone where they were told, none of this would have happened?”

“I certainly would not have gone to the Council with what I knew had they complied, and I think it’s doubtful Windu would have discovered it on his own,” Ahsoka replied.

Padmé buried her head in her hands with an exasperated sigh.

“Actually, he would have discovered it on his own,” Obi-Wan interjected. “Remember he was going to send Master Tiin to take over security for the conference we were using as our cover story? If Tiin had showed up and discovered no conference, just you and Sabé, then unless he was completely incompetent, the game would have been up.”

“Look, sirs, Senator, I’m not trying to demean any of your points, but the time for that decision to be made came and went a while ago,” Rex pointed out. “This is what Windu wants. He wants infighting among the progressives and their allies so that the conservatives can reestablish a dominant position in the Order. We need to focus forward.”

As if on cue, Artoo trundled into the room with Fives following behind.

“Find the _Resolute_’s sensor tape,” Ahsoka ordered.

Fives searched through the box briefly before finding the correct tape and sliding it into Artoo’s reader. On Ahsoka’s signal, Artoo activated his holoprojector and began to play back the tape.

“Fast-forward to the destruction of the interdictor,” Ahsoka told Artoo.

The holoprojection flickered as Artoo did so, and then it resumed playback. When the _Envoy_ disappeared into hyperspace, Ahsoka tapped the chronometer button on her comlink. When the _Sundered Heart_ jumped to lightspeed a moment later, she tapped the button again.

“Okay, you can stop the playback, Artoo,” Ahsoka said. Glancing down at the comlink’s display, she announced, “Once the _Envoy_ goes to lightspeed, the _Sundered Heart_ leaves 1.7 seconds later. I think it’s probably safe to assume Tiin wouldn’t have realized you were on the _Envoy_ rather than the _Heart_.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Alright, where do we go from here?”

“The four of us head back to the fleet and try to figure out who has Senator Organa,” Rex proposed, motioning to Ahsoka and the other clones. “Once we know what we’re up against, we’ll go from there.”

* * *

Deep in the bowels of their fortress, Sidious and Tyranus stood in front of a bank of five holoprojectors. Each showed one of their prisoners shackled to the bed in their holding cell.

“Tell me, my apprentice,” Sidious asked, “which of our prisoners do you think will be most…forthcoming?”

“Bane informed me when he delivered them that these two,” Tyranus indicated them with his hand, “seemed unusually close. Perhaps we can use one as…_leverage_ to secure the cooperation of the other.”

“A sound strategy,” Sidious agreed. “Which do you propose to be the leverage?”

Tyranus thought for a moment, then pointed to the one on the left. “Her.”


	21. Chapter 21

Windu and Kolar stood before the holotable in the Jedi Temple Situation Room flanked by holoprojections of Tiin and Allie.

“What do you have for us, Master Allie?” Windu asked.

“I’ve tracked Dooku to Vjun,” Allie reported. “Master, I sense two Dark presences on the planet. I suspect Dooku is meeting with his master.”

“Where on the planet did he land?”

“If you’ll activate your datalink transceiver, I’ll transmit the coordinates and my sensor scans of the area,” Allie replied.

Windu reached down and flipped a switch on the holotable’s control panel. “Go.”

The holotable’s projector activated and began displaying a map of the planet. As it received the data from Allie’s sensor scans, it zoomed in on a location in the planet’s northern hemisphere and began displaying the results of the scans.

“Alright, people, we have no idea how long the Sith will remain on Vjun, so we have to act now,” Windu declared. Pressing the intercom switch, he ordered the communications technician, “Flash message to all Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Fleet assets: set condition two and proceed immediately at best speed to coordinates 517 by 277 by 024 in preparation for assault on Vjun.”

_“Right away, sir,”_ the technician responded.

“And enclose the datalink transmission we just received,” Windu directed.

_“Yes, sir.”_

“Master Allie, are there any other vessels in orbit?” Windu asked.

Allie shook her head. “Just mine.”

“Good. Land on the far side of the planet’s moon, shut down all systems, and wait there until our forces arrive,” Windu ordered. “Break communications silence only if you sense Dooku or his master leaving the planet.”

“Yes, Master,” Allie replied. “If I do sense them leaving the planet, should I pursue?”

“So long as you can do so without being detected,” Windu told her.

“Understood, Master,” Allie said with a nod. She then shut down her communications array, leaving Windu, Kolar, and Tiin to plan the assault.

“Master Kolar, you will command the Eighth Fleet; Master Tiin, the Fifth; I will be in overall command and will also command the Seventh Fleet,” Windu informed them.

“What of the hunt for Skywalker and Kenobi?” Tiin asked.

“They’ll still be out there when the fighting on Vjun ends,” Windu pointed out. “We have a chance to end the Sith and end this war once and for all. All other concerns must be secondary to that.”

Kolar frowned. “What about General Grievous?”

“His remains were recovered from the wreckage of the interdictor destroyed by Master Tiin’s task force,” Windu reported.

“So we are absolutely certain Grievous is dead?” Kolar asked.

“Absolutely certain,” Windu confirmed. “If we get Dooku and his master, I strongly suspect we will be able to convince the Separatist Council to fold.”

“I’m still not entirely comfortable with completely calling a temporary halt to the search for Skywalker and Kenobi,” Tiin stated. “If we’re right that the chancellor going to ground is part of a stratagem to tempt Skywalker to the Dark Side, we need to find him before he can put himself in a position to assist his new masters in the defense of Vjun.”

“If that is their play, it’s more than likely Skywalker is already on Vjun,” Windu countered.

“Would not Master Allie have sensed his presence if he were there?” Kolar responded.

“Only if she knew what she was looking for,” Windu noted. “If Skywalker has killed Dooku and taken his place as the Sith apprentice, Master Allie may not have realized that the second Dark presence she sensed was Skywalker rather than Dooku.”

Kolar nodded. “When do we depart the staging point?”

“As soon as all our forces are assembled,” Windu answered.

* * *

“Master electrical on. Atmospheric inlet open,” Ahsoka read off her datapad, flipping the appropriate switches on the _Twilight_’s control panel. When the internal and external ambient pressures had equalized, she continued, “Atmospheric inlet closed. ECS master on. Set temperature regulator at twenty-five standard degrees.”

“Ground scanners on,” Rex reported from the copilot seat. “Vicinity is clear.”

“Confirm throttles at idle,” Ahsoka read out.

“Confirmed,” Rex replied.

“Boost pump on,” Ahsoka continued, flipping the corresponding switch. Before she could proceed with the next step in the checklist, her comlink chimed. After pulling it from its pouch and inspecting the caller ID, she shut off the boost pump and stepped away from the control panel before answering.

“Admiral Yularen, what do you have for me?”

“The Sith master has been located on Vjun,” Yularen informed her. “Master Windu is pulling us off the search for Skywalker to take part in the assault. If you leave now, you can probably make the rendezvous.”

“Understood,” Ahsoka replied. “Do you have the battle plan?”

Seeing Yularen nod, Ahsoka crossed back to the control panel and powered up the communications array. “Go ahead and transmit the battle plan. I’ll review it en route.”

A blinking light on the communications panel indicated that Yularen’s transmission had been received. “I’ll see you at the staging point,” Ahsoka told Yularen, closing the connection.

“Ground scanners off,” she ordered Rex, already dialing her comlink.

“Ground scanners off, aye, sir,” Rex repeated, somewhat confused by the instruction.

“Skyguy,” Ahsoka spoke into the comlink, “is Master Kenobi with you?”

“One moment,” Anakin replied.

There was a brief silence before the quarter-size image of Anakin being projected by Ahsoka’s comlink was joined by one of Obi-Wan. “What is it, Ahsoka?”

“Intelligence reports indicate the Sith master is hiding out on Vjun,” Ahsoka told them. “You two want in on the assault?”

“Ordinarily, I would, but I’m reluctant to leave Padmé and Sabé out here alone by themselves,” Anakin responded.

“As Ahsoka rightly pointed out earlier this afternoon, not wanting to leave them alone on Naboo is what got us into this mess in the first place,” Obi-Wan countered, “and there’s much less chance of them being discovered here than there was on Naboo.”

“You remember Ahsoka said Windu never gave her a shoot-to-kill order?” Anakin said. “That probably means he doesn’t fully trust her. If he’s realized she double-crossed him, he might have fed her misinformation hoping to lure us into a trap.”

“Then we’ll do what we always do: spring the trap,” Obi-Wan replied.

“I don’t think it’s a trap,” Ahsoka put in. “The message was relayed to me by Admiral Yularen. I doubt Windu would bring him in on the conspiracy.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “I would tend to concur. Yularen has the chancellor’s ear. Windu wouldn’t risk his plan getting back to Palpatine.”

Rex came over and tapped Ahsoka on the shoulder. “Excuse me, sirs?”

“What is it, Rex?” Ahsoka asked.

“I’ve been going over the briefing information we received,” Rex told her, holding out his datapad where she could see it. “I thought you’d want to see this. It’s a scan of the building Dooku and his master are hiding out in.”

Ahsoka looked at him in surprise. “Dooku’s there too?”

“They’ve been taking pains most of the war to avoid being in the same place at the same time,” Anakin remarked. “I wonder what’s going on that they felt the need to meet in person.”

“I have a theory about that, sir,” Rex said. “In the northeast corner of the building, about five meters below the surface, there’s a corridor with a central hallway lined on both sides by rooms about five meters square.”

“Probably a detention block,” Obi-Wan stated.

“Five of the cells are occupied,” Rex continued.

“Senator Organa and the queen,” Ahsoka surmised.

“That’d be my guess,” Rex agreed.

Anakin heaved a sigh. “And let me guess: Windu’s assault plan doesn’t make any provisions for rescuing them.”

“That would be correct, sir,” Rex confirmed.

“Have you gotten a chance to look at the order of battle yet?” Ahsoka asked.

Rex nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Is the _Resilient_ battle group to be included?”

“No, sir,” Rex informed her.

“With your permission, Masters, I’d like to contact Master Koon and ask him to second us a platoon of clones to assist in a rescue mission to be conducted simultaneously with Windu’s assault,” Ahsoka proposed.

Anakin thought for a moment. “Rex, do you think it can be done?”

“Yes, sir, I do,” Rex told him. “Windu’s op orders call for the entire fleet to drop out of hyperspace directly above the facility. If we exit hyperspace on the far side of the planet and approach the facility at high speed and low altitude, we stand a good chance of evading detection.”

“Do the scans of the facility give enough detail for us to plot ingress and egress routes?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Yes, sir,” Rex answered.

“Alright, then go ahead and contact Master Koon,” Obi-Wan said.

Ahsoka nodded. “Yes, Masters. I’ll let you know what his response is.”

Ahsoka quickly closed the connection and dialed again.

“_Ko-to-yah_, Ahsoka,” Koon greeted her.

“_Ko-to-yah_, Master Plo,” Ahsoka replied. “Have you heard about the impending assault on Vjun?”

“No, I’ve not,” Koon responded. “What’s on Vjun?”

“Dooku and his master,” Ahsoka told him.

Koon nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe we can finally put an end to this war.”

“There’s a complicating factor, though,” Ahsoka continued.

“Isn’t there always,” Koon remarked.

“Intelligence suggests that Senator Organa, Queen Neeyutnee, and their aides are being held captive on Vjun,” Ahsoka explained. “Master Windu’s assault plan makes no provisions for their rescue.”

“Why are you telling this to me and not to Master Windu himself?” Koon asked.

“When I told Master Windu, he dismissed the intelligence reports as false,” Ahsoka lied.

Koon looked at her intently. “And you have reason to believe he did so incorrectly?”

“I fear the Skywalker situation is clouding Master Windu’s judgment,” Ahsoka replied. “He claimed that Senator Organa and the queen faked their own capture so that they could more easily assist Skywalker in evading us.”

Koon hummed. “How do you propose to proceed?”

“Have the Wolfpack take a _Theta_-class shuttle and rendezvous with me and my clone detachment in the _Twilight_ fifty parsecs due north of Vjun,” Ahsoka requested. “We’ll time our hyperspace jump to have us arrive at the same time as Windu’s task force. We go in, get our people, and get out.”

“I assume there will be no problem with my leading the Wolfpack personally on this mission?” Koon asked.

“Not at all, Master,” Ahsoka confirmed.

“Then I will see you at the rendezvous point,” Koon informed her, terminating the connection.

Ahsoka dialed her comlink again. “Admiral Yularen: the _Twilight_ has suffered a mechanical failure. I will not be able to make the rendezvous.”

“So we should not wait for your arrival before launching our attack?” Yularen asked.

Ahsoka nodded. “That is correct. Do not wait for me.”

“Understood,” Yularen replied. “I will let you know what the outcome is.”

Ahsoka nodded silently before ending the communication and dialing again.

“What’s the word, Snips?” Anakin asked.

“Master Koon and the Wolfpack will be assisting with the rescue,” Ahsoka told him.

Obi-Wan frowned. “Master Koon will be there personally?”

“Don’t worry, Master, he won’t have a problem with your being there,” Ahsoka assured him.

“How can you be so sure?” Obi-Wan asked.

“I spoke to him about a day before you guys switched ships,” Ahsoka explained. “He told me that when the Code was originally established, its precepts were treated as guidelines rather than rules, and he said he believes the Order should return to treating the Code as guidelines.”

“Good, good,” Obi-Wan replied.

“I’m still not entirely sold on the idea of leaving Padmé and Sabé out here to fend for themselves,” Anakin said.

“Then don’t, sir,” Rex proposed. “Someone’s going to have to stay with the ship to keep the engines warm while we go in and make the rescue. If the two of them do that, it frees all six of us to be able to participate in the rescue.”

Anakin pointed at him. “Good thinking, Rex. Give us a minute or two to make sure we’re not about to accidentally leave something important behind on the _Envoy_ and then we’ll be over.”

“Copy that,” Ahsoka responded, ending the call and putting her comlink away. She then turned to Rex and instructed, “Boarding ramp down.”

“Boarding ramp down, aye, sir,” Rex repeated.

* * *

“Knight Swan,” Windu called.

The younger Jedi spun around to face him. “Master Windu.”

“Walk with me,” Windu requested. Once the two were alongside each other, he continued, “With Master Kolar leaving to take command of the Eighth Fleet, I want you to take over his current assignment.”

Swan nodded. “And that would be, Master?”

“I need you to keep an eye on Masters Fisto and Secura,” Windu told her. “I fear they may have grown attached to each other.”

Swan drew up short and turned to face Windu, her expression a mix of shock and disdain. “You want me to spy on my fellow Jedi?”

Windu sighed heavily. “I’m not giving you this assignment lightly, Bultar. It’s just that with as many Jedi as have lost their way since this war started…attachment leads to the Dark Side. Just look at this mess with Skywalker. If Masters Fisto and Secura have indeed fallen prey to attachments, I want to be able to intervene before their attachments lead them to stray from the path of Light.”

Swan nodded contemplatively and resumed walking. “I understand that, Master.”

“It’s the surreptitious nature of it all that bothers you,” Windu finished. “I don’t particularly care for it, either, but if they have indeed grown attached, I doubt they would admit it if we asked them directly.”

Swan sighed. “I know that, Master, but…the idea of spying on our own people, it just makes me feel…_dirty_.”

“I’ve done a lot of things over the course of this war that have made me feel _dirty_,” Windu shot back derisively, stepping in front of her and looking her directly in the eyes. “Are you telling me you can’t handle this assignment, Knight Swan? Are you telling me you’re willing to let Masters Fisto and Secura fall to the Dark Side because taking the action necessary to save them would go against your _principles_?”

There was a long silence before Swan replied in a quiet voice, “No, Master.”

“Then I can trust that you will do what is necessary to save Masters Fisto and Secura from themselves?” Windu pressed.

Swan nodded timidly. “Yes, Master.”

“Good,” Windu responded. Seeing the expression of concern that still graced Swan’s features, he stepped around beside and slightly behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Bultar. This war has forced all of us to do things we’d rather not. We’ve all found our own ways of dealing with it. I’m sure you’ll find yours.”

Windu then stepped around her and strode off down the hall, leaving Swan staring after him with unfocused eyes. Several seconds after he had disappeared round the bend, she turned and departed in the opposite direction, making her way to the base of the High Council Tower. She came to a stop outside Master Shaak Ti’s living quarters and pressed the door chime.

_“Come in,”_ Ti called.

The door slid open and Swan entered. “A moment of your time, Master?”

“Certainly, Bultar,” Ti replied, gesturing for her to sit down on one of the meditation cushions. Once she had done so, Ti asked, “What’s bothering you?”

“I’m concerned about Master Windu,” Swan told her. “He asked me to take an assignment I found…he asked me to spy on Masters Fisto and Secura.”

Ti frowned. “I’m sure he must have had a good reason for doing so.”

“He said he believes they’ve grown attached to each other,” Swan explained.

Ti sighed. “I see.”

“It’s…the most concerning thing was the way he went about it,” Swan continued. “He implied—actually, no, he flat-out told me that if I didn’t take the assignment, I would be responsible for them falling to the Dark Side because I refused to do what was necessary to save them.”

Ti’s brow knit in concern. “That’s an…_interesting_ notion of causality. Did you take the assignment?”

“Reluctantly,” Swan replied. “It almost felt like he was trying to guilt-trip me into taking the assignment…and then as soon as I agreed to do it, he was immediately the consummate Jedi master. It was like someone had flipped a switch.”

Ti’s concern only grew with this response. The interaction Swan had described was eerily reminiscent of interactions the High Council had had with the chancellor.

“Are you going to actually carry out the assignment?” Ti asked.

“I don’t know what to do, Master,” Swan admitted. “I was hoping you could provide guidance.”

Ti sighed. “Frankly, I’m not entirely certain what I would do in your situation.”

There was a brief silence before Ti asked, “What is attachment, anyway?”

“An inappropriately close relationship between a Jedi and another person,” Swan replied slowly, confused by the sudden change of subject.

“Well, yes, but what rises to the level of being inappropriately close?” Ti gave a hollow chuckle before continuing, “I’m on the Council, and I don’t know the answer to that myself, so how can I expect you to know?”

“I…don’t know, Master,” Swan responded.

Ti stood from her cushion and began to pace about the room. “Against my better judgment, I almost wonder if the Order might be best served by temporarily suspending the rule against attachments. With as many parents as are refusing to let their Force-sensitive younglings be trained, we may need to bear children of our own in order to keep our numbers up.”

Swan looked at her in surprise. “Do you really believe that will be necessary?”

Ti came to a stop by the window and peered out between the blinds. “I don’t know. I’m hoping that parents will be more willing to give their children over for training once the war ends, but if the war continues to drag on, or if parents continue to withhold their younglings even after the war ends, it may be the only way to preserve the Order.”

“If I may, Master?” Swan asked. Seeing Ti nod, she said, “The problem I see with that idea, especially if it were to be implemented with the war still ongoing, is that in the short term, it would effectively reduce our numbers even further by making some Jedi unavailable to be sent on missions.”

“As I said, Bultar, this would be a last resort only,” Ti assured her. “Our intake numbers would have to be desperately low before I would even consider bringing this proposal before the Council.”

Swan nodded. “What do you suggest I do about my assignment from Master Windu?”

“Do nothing,” Ti replied. “I can sense you are greatly troubled by this, as am I. When Master Windu returns, I will speak to him about the possibility of an alternative, and if he refuses to be persuaded, I will take on the assignment myself.”

Swan bowed. “Thank you, Master.”

* * *

Darth Sidious glanced over at the specially designed torture droid to his right and gave an imperceptible nod. In response, the droid raised its right arm and brought the metal chain attached to it slashing down across Dormé’s bare chest, adding one more angry red line to the dozens that already crisscrossed her pale skin.

“My patience grows thin,” Sidious hissed at Saché, who was chained spread-eagle to the wall of the interrogation chamber. “Where is Skywalker?”

“Somewhere you’ll _never_ find him,” Saché spat.

With the six-hour mark drawing nigh, Sidious briefly considered the idea that his subjects might be more forthcoming if given a brief respite but quickly decided he was unwilling to sound retreat just yet.

“Perhaps a more…_persuasive_ method is needed,” he drawled, gesturing for the torture droid to leave. He then signaled to his apprentice, who crossed behind his master to stand over Dormé’s prone form.

“Tell me where I can find Anakin Skywalker,” Sidious demanded.

Saché’s only response was to stick her tongue out at the Sith Lord, an action which prompted him to chuckle darkly. Then, suddenly, the chuckling stopped, and he looked over at Tyranus and gave a curt nod.

Blue-white lightning erupted from Tyranus’ fingertips into Dormé’s body, the massive electrical input causing her muscles to spasm wildly, leaving her writhing about on the floor. Blood trickled from the corner of Dormé’s mouth as she bit down hard on her tongue to keep from crying out in agony.

Saché could do nothing but look on in horror, remembering her own experience with electrocution at the hands of Cad Bane. The pain had been excruciating, and she could only imagine how much worse Dormé must be going through now.

This continued for some thirty seconds before a spasm went through Dormé’s jaw muscles, preventing her from holding in her screams any longer. When Saché saw how her lover’s cries only seemed to add fuel to the onslaught against her, she could take no more. _Shiraya forgive me,_ she thought.

“Stop! _Stop!_” Saché shouted. “They’re on Hoth!”

Sidious’ head immediately snapped around from watching Dormé’s torment to look at Saché, and he silently signaled for the lightning to cease.

“Skywalker and his wife, and Kenobi and his intended,” Saché explained. “They’re all on Hoth. It’s an ice planet in the Greater Javin, two systems south of Bespin on the Ison Corridor.”

Sidious turned to Tyranus and gave a toothy grin. “You see, my apprentice? They all come around eventually. You just have to know which buttons to press.”

“Forgive me for doubting you, my lord,” Tyranus responded as the two of them turned and made their way to the door, where they were met by a tactical droid.

“A Republic fleet has dropped out of hyperspace in high orbit, my lords,” the droid informed them. “The enemy ships are deploying their landing craft.”

Sidious and Tyranus stepped outside the interrogation chamber and closed the door behind them, preventing the chamber’s remaining occupants from hearing the ensuing conversation.

After the Sith left, Dormé slowly rolled over onto her back so she could look up at Saché, whose eyes reached out to her in a silent plea for forgiveness. When Dormé shook her head slowly, eyes burning with the sting of betrayal, Saché let her head drop, closed her eyes, and wept.


	22. Chapter 22

Anakin threw the lever to drop the _Twilight_ out of hyperspace over Vjun and immediately began pushing the sublight controls forward to send them into a steep dive toward the planet’s surface.

“Wolfpack: form up on me,” he called over the communications frequency.

_“Copy that, General,”_ the accompanying shuttle’s clone pilot acknowledged.

Turning to Ahsoka in the copilot seat, Anakin instructed, “Shields up. Master arm on.”

“Shields up,” Ahsoka repeated. “Master arm on.”

_“Altitude. Altitude,”_ a disembodied female voice warned.

“Yeah, shut up,” Anakin muttered, pulling back on the controls to level off at fifty meters above the ground.

Behind him, he could hear the four clones loading fresh gas cartridges and power packs into their blasters.

“Prepare to extend landing gear and lower boarding ramp on my mark,” Anakin ordered. “Three, two, one, mark!”

As the freighter settled to a stop just outside the compound, Anakin and Ahsoka quickly stood from the controls and made their way to the boarding ramp to join Obi-Wan and the clones in their final preparations before heading inside. Meanwhile, Padmé and Sabé got up from their seats and moved to take Anakin and Ahsoka’s places at the controls.

“I really hope Obi-Wan doesn’t do anything stupid,” Sabé said with a sigh.

Padmé chuckled in agreement. “Yeah, I never thought I’d see the day Ani was the one out of the two of them with his head screwed on straight.”

* * *

“Clear every hallway, every room,” Windu ordered his troops as they disembarked from their LAAT/i gunships in front of the compound. “If you find the Sith, comm me immediately. Engage the Sith themselves only as necessary to prevent them from escaping before I get there.”

“Yes, sir!” the clones chorused.

* * *

“Go, go, go!” Rex called as the last few battle droids guarding the detention block went down in a hail of blasterfire.

The strike team stood from their positions of cover and poured into the detention block, quickly locating Organa, Retrac, and Neeyutnee in the first three cells on the right-hand side of the corridor. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka each approached one of the cells and plunged their lightsaber into the lock, destroying it and allowing the door to swing open. They then went over to the captives and sliced through the shackles holding them to their beds.

“Where are the other two?” Obi-Wan asked in confusion.

“They were taken away to be interrogated,” Organa replied.

“Of course they were,” Anakin muttered darkly. “Nothing ever goes to plan with this war.”

Obi-Wan arched one eyebrow. “Try nothing ever goes to plan, period. The war has nothing to do with it.”

Ignoring Obi-Wan’s remark, Anakin directed, “Rex, Jesse, Fives: escort these three back to the _Twilight_. We’ll keep searching for Dormé and Saché.”

“Yes, sir,” Rex said.

“When Sidious came to collect them for interrogation, I recognized his voice,” Organa told them.

Koon turned to look at him expectantly. “Who?”

“Supreme Chancellor Palpatine,” Organa revealed.

Anakin looked at him in shock. “You’re absolutely certain?”

Organa nodded. “He tried to disguise his voice, but I’ve heard him speak in the Senate enough that I was able to recognize it nonetheless.”

“All this time we thought he was a Sith puppet, and it turns out he was the puppetmaster all along,” Obi-Wan mused.

Distracted by the conversation, the gathering failed to notice another column of battle droids enter the detention block.

“Stick ‘em up, Jedi!” the lead droid ordered.

In response, Ahsoka stretched out her right hand and Force pushed the front rank of droids backwards into their colleagues, sending the whole formation toppling over in disarray. The clone troopers immediately opened fire on the downed droids, allowing the strike team to escape down the corridor in the opposite direction. As they made their escape, Organa, Retrac, and Neeyutnee all grabbed blaster rifles that had been dropped by the battle droids.

Once the group reached a section of the facility that was devoid of battle droids, the freed prisoners and their assigned escorts began worming their way back to the entrance while the rest of the strike team stopped to regroup.

“Alright, we do a floor-by-floor search, starting here and working our way up through the facility,” Obi-Wan ordered.

“Remember, we’re not looking to pick a fight here,” Anakin reminded them. “Our mission is to get our people and get out with a minimum of fuss. Engage enemy forces only when absolutely necessary.”

The clones nodded in unison. “Yes, sir.”

“And if we find any sort of a data room, take as many of the tapes as we can carry with us,” Koon added. “We can’t just walk into the Senate chamber and accuse the supreme chancellor of high treason with only Senator Organa’s testimony as proof.”

“Only if it doesn’t interfere with the rescue,” Anakin amended. “That’s still our primary mission.”

The four Jedi glanced at each other to make sure none of them had any additional instructions before Obi-Wan declared, “Alright, let’s move out.”

* * *

“Okay, a left and then another right and we should be out of here,” Rex told the group.

They were about halfway down the corridor when Fives tapped Rex on the shoulder with one hand while holding up the other to signal for silence. “You hear that?”

“_Haar’chak_!” Rex swore.

“What is it?” Neeyutnee asked in confusion.

“Droidekas,” Jesse replied.

No sooner had he made this declaration than two such units rolled into the corridor and unfurled into combat configuration, blocking their path.

“Fall back!” Rex ordered the escapees, already opening fire on the droidekas. “We’ll cover you!”

Organa, Retrac, and Neeyutnee stood from their crouches and sprinted back down the corridor in the direction they had come. As the neared the intersection with the previous corridor they had been in, a blaster bolt from one of the droidekas struck Retrac in the right shoulder, the force of the impact throwing her headfirst against the wall at the end of the corridor. She landed on the floor in a daze, her stolen blaster falling from her hand and skittering away out of reach.

Seeing Retrac go down, Organa threw himself to the ground to present as low a profile as possible and scrambled around the corner so as to place the wall between himself and the droidekas. Neeyutnee, meanwhile, turned around to face the droidekas, dropped to one knee just in front of where Retrac had fallen, and began returning fire, hoping she could give Retrac enough time to crawl to safety. Unfortunately, Retrac was still too disoriented to move, and it was only a few short seconds before a blaster bolt to the chest and another to the head sent Neeyutnee toppling over backwards, dead before she hit the ground.

While this was happening, the three clones had been slowly inching their way backwards toward the intersection, firing on the droidekas as they did so. When he heard Neeyutnee cry out as she went down, Rex signaled for the clones to cease fire and run the last few meters back to the intersection. Retrac, slowly coming back to awareness, realized what was happening and picked up Neeyutnee’s fallen blaster in her left hand, laying down cover fire to aid the clones’ retreat.

Once the three clones were safely behind the same wall as Organa, Rex slapped his wrist comlink. “Rex to _Twilight_. Do you read? Over.”

_“This is _Twilight_. Go ahead, Captain,”_ Padmé’s voice filtered through the comlink.

“We’re being pinned down by a couple of droidekas,” Rex explained. “I need you to have Artoo get a location fix on my comlink signal, and then take the ship and try to blast a hole in the wall of the building, say…10 meters north of our position.”

_“Copy that. _Twilight_ out.”_

* * *

The rescue force had cleared the lower level of the compound, and they were working their way through the ground floor when they encountered Dooku holding Palpatine in front of himself as a human shield, the count’s ignited lightsaber held across Palpatine’s throat. Windu, his lightsaber drawn but not ignited, and a small contingent of clone troopers stood at the far end of the corridor.

“Go no further, or His Excellency dies,” Dooku warned.

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged glances before Obi-Wan declared, “Guess we’d better keep going, then.”

Palpatine’s expression immediately turned to one of horror. “Are you out of your mind, Master Jedi? He’ll kill me!”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Your Excellency—or should that be ‘my Lord?’” Anakin replied, subtly gesturing to the Wolfpack to continue searching the rest of the compound. “I’m sure your apprentice wouldn’t dare dream of killing his master before he’s had a chance to bring the Grand Plan to fruition.”

Palpatine looked at Anakin in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“After all, it’s so much easier to win at dejarik when you’re playing against yourself,” Anakin continued.

Now Windu’s expression grew suspicious. “Just what are you trying to say, Skywalker?”

“Our esteemed chancellor is none other than Darth Sidious himself,” Anakin explained. “He’s been right under our noses this whole time.”

“Why’d you join him?” Windu asked, igniting the purple blade in his hand.

Hearing Obi-Wan’s saber ignite beside him, Anakin held out one arm to keep his master back. “_What?_”

“You said it yourself: he’s been right under our noses this whole time without anyone noticing, so how did you figure it out unless he himself told you?” Windu pointed out. With an air of sudden realization, he continued, “That’s what this whole thing has been about, hasn’t it? He’s been using that slag senator of yours to mold you into the perfect Sith apprentice; the perfect weapon against the Jedi Order.”

“That’s outrageous!” Obi-Wan declared, pushing Anakin’s arm aside before the younger Jedi could react and stalking down the corridor toward Windu.

“So, it wasn’t enough for you to fall yourself, was it, Skywalker?” Windu accused, adopting his ready stance. “You had to bring your master down with you.”

“It is you who have fallen to the Dark Side of the Force,” Obi-Wan countered, adopting his own ready stance. “I suppose in light of what happened to Master Bulq and Master Billaba, I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Windu’s only response was to growl and launch into his opening attack sequence.

* * *

_“Alright, we’re through!”_ Padmé reported over the comlink.

Cautiously, Rex poked his head around the corner. The corridor was filled with massive chunks of duracrete that had been thrown into the corridor by the _Twilight_’s blaster cannons, easily crushing the two droidekas.

“Copy that,” he acknowledged. “We’re on our way.”

Fives and Jesse made their way over to where Retrac and Neeyutnee had fallen, Jesse helping Retrac back to her feet while Fives slung Neeyutnee’s body over his shoulder to be carried back to the _Twilight_.

“You alright, Sheltay?” Organa asked.

“I’ve been worse,” Retrac answered, her attempt at a smile looking more like a grimace. “Hells, compared to the morning sickness I had with Winter, this is nothing!”

“That’s the adrenaline talking,” Rex warned her. “Trust me, you’ll feel a lot worse once we get out of here.”

As they began to make their way over to the hole that had been blasted in the corridor wall, Fives caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. “We’re about to have company!”

“Not again,” Rex muttered. Aloud, he ordered, “Let’s move, people!”

The group took off toward the exit point, doing their best to avoid the debris littering the corridor. As the neared the hole, Retrac suddenly lost her balance and fell to the ground with a sharp cry of pain.

“Sheltay!” Organa shouted.

“Go! Get out of here!” Jesse ordered him, pointing to where the _Twilight_ had landed just outside the hole. Jesse then quickly scrambled back inside, diving behind one of the larger chunks of debris to avoid the fire from the half-dozen B2 super battle droids that had just entered the corridor.

Retrac, meanwhile, had crawled behind a different piece of debris and was reaching her blaster around the debris and blindly firing at where the battle droids’ fire seemed to be coming from.

“Go!” Jesse shouted, popping out from behind his piece of duracrete to fire a few rounds at the droids before ducking back under cover.

Not trusting her balance, Retrac pulled her blaster back and began crawling toward the hole in the wall, reaching it in about thirty seconds, by which time Rex and Fives had gotten Organa and Neeyutnee’s body to the _Twilight_ and returned to provide cover fire of their own in addition to that already being laid down by Jesse.

Once Retrac was outside the building, Rex scooped her up to carry her back to the _Twilight_, while Fives lobbed a thermal detonator at the battle droids, the resulting explosion creating enough confusion among their ranks to allow Jesse to escape.

Once they were all back aboard the _Twilight_, Rex slapped his comlink once more. “General Skywalker: we were ambushed by droidekas on our way out. The queen was killed, and Senator Organa’s aide was wounded, but we’ve made it back to the _Twilight_,” he advised. After a brief silence, he asked, “General, do you copy?”

* * *

_Snips and I could really use your help over here, Master,_ Anakin spoke to Obi-Wan through their bond as he ducked to avoid Palpatine’s crimson blade.

_In case you haven’t noticed, Anakin, I’m a little occupied dealing with Master Windu,_ Obi-Wan replied, bringing his weapon up to block Windu’s strike.

_Whatever his quarrel is with us, I’m sure he must want to see the Sith defeated as much as we do,_ Anakin responded. _Surely you can convince him to focus on our common enemy first._

_Windu has somehow gotten it into his head that you and I have fallen to the Dark Side and are trying to kill Dooku and Sidious and take their places as the Sith master and apprentice for our own,_ Obi-Wan pointed out. _I highly doubt he’d be willing to ally with what he sees as one faction of the Sith against another._

Anakin’s attention was drawn back to the outside world by the voice of his opponent. “Just think what you could do without the strictures of the Jedi Code to hold you back,” Palpatine encouraged him. “We could crush the Jedi underfoot and bring about a new galactic order! Bring the Hutts to heel and free their slaves!”

Anakin almost laughed as he caught Palpatine’s blade with his own and, with a wide sweep to his left, attempted to wrench the Sith master’s weapon from his hands. “At the cost of losing Padmé? I don’t think so.”

Palpatine brought his lightsaber up into a high guard position and, while continuing to fend off Anakin’s assault with the saber in his right hand, sent bursts of Force lightning at Ahsoka with his left. “I am no Jedi. I would never force you to give up your marriage. Senator Amidala would be the crown princess of our new empire! She would know luxury like she never has before!”

“Yeah, right,” Anakin scoffed, stepping between Palpatine and Ahsoka and catching the Sith’s bursts of lightning on his blade. “I know how you Sith operate. The Rule of Two leaves no room for outside allegiances. The apprentice can have no loyalty other than to his master, or else the master will deem him a failure and kill him. The master, by the same token, can have no loyalty other than to himself, or his apprentice will find him unworthy to lead the Sith and overthrow him.”

Palpatine’s eyes took on the red-rimmed yellow coloration characteristic of a Dark Side practitioner. “It matters not. Ever since you slaughtered the Tusken Raiders, your fate has been sealed. Your path has only one possible destination.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin saw Dooku beginning to push Koon on the defensive. Turning his attention back to Palpatine, he quoted, “Always in motion is the future.”

“Your little green friend cannot help you now,” Palpatine taunted him, recognizing the peculiar turn of phrase.

“The point still stands, though,” Anakin replied. “Nothing is certain that has not already come to pass.”

Palpatine sidestepped Anakin’s blade and drew back to counter with a thrust of his own. “The Dark Side is a part of your very being. It grows inside you each moment until eventually, inevitably, it overtakes you entirely. You must feel it. It is your _destiny_.”

Anakin cocked one eyebrow. “Is it, now? I thought my destiny was to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force.”

“The Jedi know nothing of the meaning of true balance,” Palpatine retorted.

“That may be so, but the Sith know even less,” Anakin shot back.

Palpatine sighed, reluctant to give up on his pet project but forced to admit he had lost all leverage over the boy when Kenobi revealed his willingness to flout the Code.

“Then you will die,” he declared, putting away his lightsaber and splaying his fingers in a familiar pattern. Anakin quickly brought his own weapon up to deflect the lightning, but the onslaught was much stronger than any he had encountered previously, and he found himself being slowly pushed backwards toward the wall.

Palpatine was so immersed in pressing his attack against Anakin that he failed to notice Ahsoka sneak up behind him and plunge the tip of her shoto into the back of his neck, killing the Sith lord instantly. His death created a massive shockwave of Dark energy in the Force that sent the corridor’s remaining occupants stumbling backwards.

Anakin was the first to recover from the shockwave’s effects, and he quickly darted over to where Dooku was still attempting to gain his bearings and impaled him through the heart. When he extinguished his blade, the Separatist figurehead’s lifeless body slumped to the floor.

Still breathing heavily, Ahsoka clipped the inactive hilts of her twin lightsabers to her belt and went over to help Koon to his feet. “Wow. I guess that’s it, then.”

“I wouldn’t quite say that just yet,” Koon remarked, nodding his head at where Obi-Wan and Windu had already resumed their duel.

* * *

Sergeant Sinker ran to the next door in the corridor they were searching, placed a small shaped charge against the lock, and backed away about a meter. Once the rest of the Wolfpack was assembled on either side of the door, Wolffe nodded to Sinker, who pressed the detonator switch. The detonation vaporized the lock while leaving the rest of the door intact. Wolffe then kicked in the door and he and the rest of the Wolfpack fanned out into the room.

“Alright, let’s move on to the next room,” Wolffe declared when he saw the room was empty.

“Hang on a minute, sir,” Sergeant Boost called from the far side of the room. “There’s something funny about this wall.”

“You think there’s a hidden room back there or something?” Wolffe asked.

As Boost touched one of the panels on the wall, it suddenly began sliding away to the right, revealing a room full of holoscreens. Two B1 battle droids stood at a podium in the center of the room, watching the holoscreens. Boost leveled his blaster carbine and dispatched the two droids with single shots to the head.

“Clear!” he reported upon seeing that there were no more droids in the room. “Looks like a monitoring station for the security holocams, sir.”

“Boost: you, Watchdog, Duster, and Lizard stay here and start pulling the old datatapes,” Wolffe ordered. “General Koon wants any evidence we can get to confirm Senator Organa’s identification of Darth Sidious.”

“Yes, sir!” Boost responded.

“The rest of you, let’s keep searching,” Wolffe directed.

The remaining members of the Wolfpack exited the room and made their way down the hallway to the next door. Once again, Sinker placed a shaped charge against the lock and, on Wolffe’s signal, detonated it. When the clones poured into the room, they found Saché chained to the far wall and Dormé lying unconscious on the floor. Frostbite, the squad’s medic, made his way over to examine Dormé, while several of the other clones began working on getting Saché down from the wall.

Wolffe slapped his wrist comlink. “Boost, can your men egress with the rest of the Republic forces?”

_“Yes, sir.”_

“Good man,” Wolffe replied, slapping the comlink again. “General: we have the other two prisoners. We’re on our way back to the Leth Zerek.”

* * *

“Copy that,” Koon answered. “We’ll meet you there.”

_“Sir, we also found a monitoring station for the compound’s security holocams,”_ Wolffe continued. _“I’m leaving Boost, Watchdog, Duster, and Lizard to secure it.”_

“Negative, Commander,” Koon ordered. “Change of plans. I want your entire squad to secure that monitoring station. Generals Skywalker, Kenobi, and Tano will take the prisoners off your hands and get them out.”

_“Yes, sir,”_ Wolffe responded.

“Turn on your locator beacon so we can find you,” Koon instructed.

_“Yes, sir.”_

Koon tapped his comlink to close the communications channel and then looked over at Anakin, who nodded in acknowledgement.

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin called. “Wolffe and his men found Dormé and Saché! Let’s get out of here!”

“Go!” Obi-Wan told him, swatting Windu’s saber aside and taking the offensive himself. “I can’t disengage from this fight! Master Windu’s tyrannical hold on the Jedi Order must be broken!”

“You don’t have to do it all by yourself!” Koon pointed out. “I have seen what is truly going on here! I will vouch for you with the Council!”

“Windu will no longer respect the Council’s authority!” Obi-Wan shouted over the sound of his and Windu’s locked blades. “This is the only way!”

“Master Obi-Wan, this is not what we came here to do!” Ahsoka reminded him. “How many times have I heard you say that you should never engage in battle on your opponent’s terms unless it’s absolutely unavoidable?”

“It _is_ unavoidable!” Obi-Wan protested as Windu broke the saber lock and began forcing him back on the defensive. “We may not get another chance to take him out before he can consolidate his power base!”

“What power base?” Ahsoka questioned. “He’s insane! No Jedi will support what he’s doing!”

“Dammit, Obi-Wan, look beyond yourself for a minute!” Anakin pleaded. “Think of what it would do to Sabé if she found out you got yourself killed like this, because your frustration with the state of the Jedi Order blinded you into trying to kill Mace Windu under the false impression it would solve all your problems.”

Although Obi-Wan’s back was turned, Anakin could see his old master slip into a more defensive posture, abandoning the aggressive counterattacks of Djem So in favor of his preferred Soresu fighting style. After a few seconds, he saw his opening and Force pushed Windu several meters down the corridor before taking off in the opposite direction, Anakin, Koon, and Ahsoka following close behind. As they made their escape, Anakin used the Force to close the blast doors at the end of the corridor, delaying Windu’s pursuit as he was forced to cut through them.

After about a minute, the four Jedi arrived in the room with the false wall, where they found Frostbite kneeling over Dormé, doing what he could to tend to her injuries.

“Unless you think you’ll need my assistance getting out, I’ll stay with my men and start going through these tapes,” Koon informed Anakin.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka went over and knelt down next to Frostbite. “How is she?”

“She’ll need a bacta tank, sir,” Frostbite reported.

Hearing the response, Anakin turned to Koon and asked, “Would it be acceptable if your medic comes with us to keep her stable until we can get to a proper medical facility?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Koon replied. “Anything else?”

Anakin shook his head. “Don’t think so.”

“May the Force be with you,” Koon told them, turning and making his way over to the monitoring room.

“Where’s Saché?” Anakin asked.

“Over here,” she called, coming out of the monitoring room holding a blaster pistol that had apparently been given to her by one of the clones.

“Alright, this looks like everyone,” Obi-Wan declared. “Let’s get back to the _Twilight_.”

The group was about halfway to the exit when a column of super battle droids turned into the corridor in front of them. Immediately, Saché took several steps forward and began firing on the droids with her blaster pistol. The three Jedi, meanwhile, ignited their lightsabers and began deflecting the droids’ own blaster bolts back at them until they advanced close enough to slice the droids apart.

“Alright, let’s keep moving,” Obi-Wan said once the last of the droids was destroyed.

“Freeze!” a B1 battle droid called from behind them.

They turned around to see that the droid that had given the order was far from alone. Frostbite and the three Jedi immediately took off running down the corridor, while Saché paused to fire off a few shots at the battle droids before doing likewise.

“I hate it when they run,” one of the battle droids grumbled.

Anakin slapped his wrist comlink. “Padmé, we’re on our way back to the ship; we’ve got a column of battle droids in hot pursuit. I need you to be ready to take off the second we’re all aboard.”

_“Got it,”_ Padmé replied.

They covered the remaining distance in record time, the Jedi occasionally turning around to deflect a blaster bolt as they made their escape. As they neared the base of the _Twilight_’s boarding ramp, a stray blaster bolt slipped through Anakin’s guard and struck the back of his mechanical hand. Immediately its fingers went limp, his lightsaber falling from their grasp. Quickly, Anakin stretched out his left hand and used the Force to pull his lightsaber back to himself before bounding up the boarding ramp.

“Punch it!” he yelled.

No sooner had he said this than Anakin felt the frequency of the deck plates’ vibrations increase dramatically as the engines spooled up to full power. A few more strides carried him onto the flight deck.

“Artoo, plot a course for the nearest Republic medical station,” Padmé ordered from the pilot’s chair.

The little droid burbled an acknowledgement and plugged into the _Twilight_’s dataport to begin feeding the coordinates into the navicomputer.

“Alright, we’ve gone about halfway around the planet’s circumference,” Sabé reported from the copilot’s seat. “It should be safe to go ahead and pull clear of the gravity well.”

Padmé pulled back on the controls, and the ship began to climb through the atmosphere and out into space. When she saw the blinking green light on the navigation panel, she threw the hyperdrive lever and watched as the scene outside the viewport stretched into starlines.


	23. Chapter 23

Once Padmé had turned control over to the autopilot, Anakin came over and knelt beside her seat. “Can we talk?”

The grave look on Anakin’s face made Padmé worry what he might say. “What is it?”

“Saché,” Anakin told her. “I don’t know what they did to her in that interrogation room, but…when we ran into those battle droids, I saw something in the way she was fighting.”

Padmé’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What about it?”

Anakin sighed heavily before responding, “She was fighting like she didn’t care whether she lived or died. Like she was trying to get herself killed.”

Padmé’s mouth dropped open in shock. There was a long pause before she asked, “You’re certain of this?”

Anakin nodded sadly. “Quite. I’ve seen it in more clones than I care to recall.”

Padmé turned her head and stared blankly out the viewport.

“I’ll…Sabé and I’ll sit down and have a talk with her, see if we can get her to tell us what happened,” Padmé told him. “Would you send her up here?”

Anakin nodded and made his way back to the cargo hold, where the rest of the vessel’s occupants had gathered.

“Saché, Senator Amidala wants to see you on the flight deck,” Anakin informed her.

Saché stood wordlessly and made her way over to the connecting hatch. Once she exited, Anakin went over and sat down next to Obi-Wan.

“You noticed it, too,” Obi-Wan observed.

Anakin could only nod in response.

* * *

When Saché entered the flight deck, she found Padmé and Sabé sitting cross-legged on the floor facing the hatch.

“You wanted to see me, milady?” she asked.

Padmé nodded, indicating the space in front of her on the floor. “Have a seat.”

Once Saché had joined them on the floor, Padmé said, “Tell me what they did to you.”

“They chained me to a wall and asked me where you were hiding out,” Saché replied, her features carefully schooled into an expressionless mask.

Sabé just looked at her and raised one eyebrow, clearly recognizing there was more to the story.

Saché’s mask broke. “They…they tried to _convince_ me to tell them where you were by…by torturing Dormé.”

At once Padmé realized what must have happened. “You told them.”

Saché nodded tearfully. “I’m sorry, milady.”

“What did they do to her?” Sabé asked.

“He…he had a torture droid beat her with a wooden rod, and then whip her with a metal chain, and…and then when I still wouldn’t talk, he got rid of the droid and had Dooku torture her with Force lightning. I…that bounty hunter, Bane, electrocuted me when he captured us, and I thought that was bad…this looked like it must have been a thousand times worse, and then when she started screaming…” Saché’s voice trailed off and dissolved into choked sobs.

Padmé’s heart broke for the young handmaiden, and she reached over to pull Saché into an embrace. Sabé quickly joined in as well, rubbing reassuring circles on Saché’s back.

It was several minutes before Saché regained enough composure to continue her tale. “Dormé’s screaming just seemed to egg Dooku on, the lightning…just got even stronger. I just…I couldn’t bear to see her in so much pain, so I…I did the only thing I could do to make them stop. I told them what they wanted to know.”

“Oh, Saché,” Padmé said comfortingly.

Saché shook her head quickly. “That wasn’t the worst of it, though. After they left, Dormé…looked at me, and…the look in her eyes was just…and then she…she just…shook her head, like, ‘No, I can’t forgive you for giving in to them.’”

Padmé could feel tears welling up in her own eyes as she held Saché close, soothingly stroking the other girl’s hair. A memory flashed unbidden into Padmé’s mind, one of an impossible decision on a stormy Naboo night: continue to hold Grievous in captivity and bring the galaxy that much closer to peace, or agree to let the droid general go in exchange for the release of her husband? _If Ani had held my choice against me…Stars’ End, I can’t imagine…_

“Don’t worry about it, Saché,” Padmé advised. “I’m sure Dormé was just angry and said something in the heat of the moment that she didn’t really mean.”

“I…what if she did mean it?” Saché asked fearfully. “What if she doesn’t forgive me?”

“Then she’s an idiot who doesn’t deserve to have a girl like you in her life,” Sabé declared emphatically.

Saché couldn’t help but laugh at the bluntness of her fellow handmaiden’s statement.

* * *

Padmé guided the _Twilight_ to a stop on the emergency landing platform outside the Aurora Medical Facility on Obroa-skai. As soon as the boarding ramp was lowered, two teams of orderlies, each under the direction of a doctor, charged up the ramp and into the cargo hold. One team, with Frostbite’s assistance, loaded Dormé onto a gurney to be taken inside to a bacta tank, while the other helped Retrac onto a gurney and began examining her shoulder wound as they wheeled her inside the facility. After the two had been taken inside for treatment, a third team of orderlies came up the ramp at a more sedate pace to collect Neeyutnee’s body and prepare it for transport back to Naboo.

Once the last of the medical personnel had disembarked, the _Twilight_ took off once more to relocate itself from the medcenter’s emergency platform to a docking bay at the nearby spaceport. When they arrived at the spaceport, Anakin disembarked and went into the city to search for replacement parts with which to repair his mechanical hand. Meanwhile, Organa joined Padmé on the flight deck.

“Windu will no doubt try to spin this mess to his advantage to keep Anakin and Obi-Wan on the run,” Organa said, wasting no time. “We need to contact the rest of our allies in the Senate and have them issue press releases to get the truth into the public eye before he can do so.”

Padmé powered up the _Twilight_’s communications array and began dialing.

“Padmé, Bail,” Mon Mothma’s quarter-size image greeted them. “When I heard the announcement about your capture—”

“It’s alright, Mon, we escaped,” Organa told her. “Look, you remember the Jedi Council warned us that Dooku was just the Sith apprentice?”

Mothma nodded. “As I recall, they also said they suspected his master might be someone in the chancellor’s inner circle.”

“While I was in captivity, Dooku’s master unintentionally revealed himself to me,” Organa continued.

Mothma looked at him expectantly. “Who is it?”

“Chancellor Palpatine himself.”

Mothma sighed, running one hand through her hair. “That actually makes a surprising amount of sense,” she replied. “What’s our response?”

“Get out a press release as soon as you can,” Organa directed. “Padmé and I will contact our offices and have them prepare press releases also.”

Mothma nodded. “I’ll get right on that.”

“There’s another thing, Mon,” Padmé added. “It’s Master Windu. He’s…a few starships short of a fleet.”

Mothma pressed two fingers to her temple. “Oh, this just gets better and better. You want me to include that in the press release also?”

“Don’t phrase it like that,” Organa said.

“I figured that,” Mothma replied. “Any way in particular you want me to phrase it?”

“Say you’ve discovered information indicating that Windu tried to frame Generals Skywalker and Kenobi for the Jedi Temple bombing last week,” Organa instructed.

Mothma looked at him in surprise. “The one that killed Master Yoda?”

Organa nodded.

“Is this true?” Mothma asked.

“Would he be telling you to announce it publicly if it weren’t?” Padmé pointed out.

“Is that why—” Mothma began.

“Yes,” Padmé interrupted. “They were never captured by the Separatists, and there was no diplomatic conference between Alderaan and Naboo. They were forced into hiding to evade Windu’s attempts to arrest them.”

“Should I include that information in my press release?” Mothma asked.

“Yes, but if there’s anything you’re not entirely clear on, don’t address it,” Organa told her. “We don’t want to accidentally put out inaccurate information. Padmé and I will make sure both of ours include everything we know.”

Mothma nodded and disconnected the transmission.

“Senator Zar next,” Organa directed.

Padmé nodded and dialed once more.

* * *

Windu alighted from his starfighter outside the Senate Rotunda and quickly made his way to the office of Vice Chair Mas Amedda, who had been acting chancellor since Palpatine’s departure from Coruscant.

“Is the vice chair in?” he asked the secretary. Seeing her nod, Windu set his jaw and barged into Amedda’s inner office without waiting to be announced.

“Master Windu,” Amedda greeted him, clearly surprised by his arrival.

“I’ve just discovered that I was mistaken in believing Skywalker and Kenobi had been captured by the Separatists,” Windu said bluntly. “They have, in fact, _defected_ to the Separatist Alliance.”

Amedda looked at him in shock. “To what end?”

“Bring the galaxy to its knees and build it back up with themselves in control,” Windu replied. “They assassinated Count Dooku and Chancellor Palpatine, they tried to assassinate me, and they’re actively trying to overthrow the Jedi Council. I can only assume the Senate will be their next target.”

“How do we stop this?” Amedda asked.

“The capture of Senators Organa and Amidala was orchestrated by Skywalker and Kenobi,” Windu explained. “I have to assume they will use those two in an attempt to legitimize their takeover. Call an emergency session of the Senate, explain the situation, and move that Organa and Amidala be non-punitively suspended as a precautionary measure.”

Amedda nodded. “I thank you for bringing this situation to our attention before it was too late.”

“It’s the least I could do to protect the Republic in its current form,” Windu responded.

* * *

Shaak Ti was meditating in the Room of a Thousand Fountains when her comlink chimed.

“Master Plo,” she greeted the caller.

“Sorry to disturb you,” Koon said. “There’s really no good way to go about this, so I’m just going to say it: I fear Master Windu has either fallen to the Dark Side or gone insane. I’m not sure which, but I don’t think it really matters.”

Ti frowned. “His handling of the Skywalker situation has certainly been concerning, but it’s a far cry from that to falling to the Dark Side.”

“He accused Jedi Skywalker and Master Kenobi of having fallen to the Dark Side,” Koon told her. “I was standing right next to them. They had definitely _not_ fallen. Now explain to me why a sane, non-Dark Jedi would falsely accuse another Jedi of falling to the Dark Side.”

Ti sighed. “He really did that?”

Koon nodded.

“Where is he now?” Ti asked.

“He left Vjun in his starfighter,” Koon reported. “I think he was on his way back to Coruscant.”

“Of course he was,” Ti muttered to herself. “Of course this whole thing couldn’t have waited to happen until after I was safely back on Kamino. That would’ve been too easy.”

“I don’t envy you,” Koon agreed.

Ti put away her comlink and then looked around the room to see who else was present. Seeing Fisto and Secura meditating a short distance away, she walked over and sat down beside them.

“Did you need something, Master?” Secura asked.

Ti nodded. “I’ve just received disturbing news from Plo Koon. Master Windu has fallen to the Dark Side.”

“That’s…most unfortunate,” Fisto said. “Do we know where he is?”

“He’s believed to be on his way to Coruscant,” Ti informed them.

Fisto’s mouth twisted in thought. “I recommend we assign a battalion of clones to reinforce the Temple Guards.”

“I concur,” Ti replied. “We’ll place the clones at the less likely entry points so we can increase the number of Temple Guards at the entrances he’s more likely to try to use.”

“I’ll contact my troops,” Secura offered. Seeing Fisto nod, she pulled out her comlink. “Bly: we fear the Temple may be about to come under attack. I need you to send a battalion of our best troops to reinforce the Temple’s defenses.”

_“Right away, General,”_ Bly responded.

Once Secura put her comlink away, Fisto asked, “Okay, if you’re Windu, where are you most likely going to try to enter?”

“Well, as I understand it from Master Koon, Windu either doesn’t realize he’s fallen or is in denial,” Ti told them. “He’ll probably try to come in the same entrance he normally would.”

“Hangar bay,” Fisto declared immediately.

Secura quickly popped up from her seated position. “Let’s go.”

The three Jedi quickly exited the Room of a Thousand Fountains and began making their way toward the hangar. On their way there, Ti noticed Swan walking in the opposite direction down the corridor they were in.

“Bultar, come with us,” she instructed.

Swan quickly turned and joined the other three Jedi in their transit toward the hangar. “What’s going on?”

“Master Windu has fallen to the Dark Side,” Ti explained. “We suspect he will attempt to enter the Temple through the hangar bay. We must prepare to defend our fellow Jedi.”

Swan nodded, briefly igniting her lightsaber to confirm that it was in working condition before extinguishing it once more.

Windu’s starfighter had just landed when the four Jedi arrived in the hangar bay. They watched from the entrance as the canopy opened and Windu disembarked.

“Master Shaak Ti,” Windu greeted her. “Do you have news?”

As Windu approached where the four Jedi were standing, clearly intending to step past them and into the Temple proper, they ignited their lightsabers and held them out toward him at arm’s length.

“Stop right there,” Fisto ordered.

“What treachery is this?” Windu asked, igniting his own lightsaber. “Skywalker’s gotten to you, hasn’t he?”

“It would appear he’s gotten to _you_,” Secura countered, closing the distance between them with a Force jump and bringing her blade down toward the shoulder of Windu’s weapon arm.

Fisto pointed to a mechanic working on repairs to one of the other fighters in the hangar bay. “Call security!”

The mechanic nodded and darted over to the companel while Fisto, Ti, and Swan charged into the fray to back up Secura, whom Windu had quickly forced on the defensive. Fisto entered the fight with a downward slash at Windu’s blade that intercepted his intended strike at Secura’s exposed abdomen. Using the momentum of Fisto’s parry to his advantage, Windu brought his saber up to block Ti’s slash at his weak side, stepping backwards to avoid Fisto’s follow-up attack as he did so.

Swan, meanwhile, had slipped in behind Windu, and she now brought her blade down toward the elbow of Windu’s saber arm. Windu expertly parried her attack and, with a circular motion of his blade, twisted Swan’s own lightsaber out of her grasp. The close range of the fight allowed Swan no time to react before her opponent’s amethyst blade cleaved her in two diagonally from shoulder to hip.

The death of her comrade spurred Secura on to a renewed offensive, using Force-assisted acrobatics to dodge Windu’s attempts to counterattack. Fisto, for his part, employed broad, powerful strokes timed to coincide with Secura’s, forcing Windu to divide his attention while at the same time slowly pushing him toward the wall of the hangar bay.

Windu, seeing their attempt to cut off his options for escape, used the Force to leap several meters in the air, pirouetting on his way down so as to slash at all three remaining opponents with a single sweeping stroke. At this point, Ti stepped in and took point on the assault, relieving some of the pressure on Fisto and Secura and allowing them to regroup for a few seconds before rejoining the fight.

Windu’s blade was a glowing purple blur as he sought to defend against the strikes of his three opponents while simultaneously pressing attacks of his own. Through careful maneuvering, he was eventually able to place Fisto in a position where he was isolated from his two allies. Putting the power of the Force behind his swing, he delivered a blow so overwhelming in its strength that it forced Fisto’s green blade backwards into its wielder’s own shoulder, not far enough to sever the arm but more than sufficient to break Fisto’s concentration and cause him to fall to the ground.

In a move of desperation, Secura stretched out her hand toward Windu and used the Force to take hold of him by the torso and throw him across the hanger bay before he could strike the killing blow. Windu’s head slammed into the wall and he slumped to the floor unconscious.

The door to the hangar bay opened, and a handful of Temple Guards poured in, their lightsabers ignited.

“Get a set of binders on him,” Ti ordered them.

As the Temple Guards set about preparing Windu to be moved to a holding cell, Secura went over to Fisto and knelt beside him. “You alright, Kit?”

Fisto grunted, using his uninjured arm to pull himself back to his feet. “I will be once I’m seen to by a healer.”

“Then let’s get you there,” Secura suggested.

Fisto grinned. “Yes, let’s.”

* * *

“This emergency session of the Galactic Senate is called to order,” Amedda’s voice boomed through the Grand Convocation Chamber. Once the soft murmur of last-minute conversations between the senators and their aides died down, Amedda continued.

“Several hours ago, I received a visit from Jedi Master Mace Windu, who informed me that Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi had assassinated our esteemed chancellor and had attempted to overthrow the Jedi High Council and take control of the Jedi Order for themselves,” Amedda told the assembly. “He then informed me that Skywalker and Kenobi were the ones responsible for the kidnapping of the esteemed senators from the Chommell and Alderaan sectors, and that they would likely attempt to force those senators to introduce legislation that would legitimize a takeover of the Senate by this so-called renegade faction of the Jedi.

“Master Windu then suggested to me that in order to prevent this from occurring, I should call an emergency session of the Senate and move to have the esteemed senators from the Chommell and Alderaan sectors non-punitively suspended from participating in Senate business. After Master Windu left, I sent out the call for the emergency session and began preparing my remarks. I made no attempt to verify the information I had been given.

“About an hour later, my secretary told me to turn on the HoloNet. As I’m sure my esteemed colleagues have all seen the latest news reports by now, I see no need to waste their time by recounting the contents of those reports. Needless to say, as I sat in my office watching the HoloNet reports and taking in the information they contained, I began to get the distinct feeling that I’d been duped.

“When I first donned my senatorial robes twenty-seven years ago, I promised myself that the day I could no longer look myself in the mirror and tell myself with full conviction that I was not a corrupt senator would be the day I tendered my resignation. My esteemed colleagues, that day has come. As my final act as vice chair of the Galactic Senate, I declare this emergency session adjourned.”


	24. Chapter 24

“Does anyone else wish to be heard?” newly appointed Jedi Grand Master Obi-Wan Kenobi asked. “Yes, Master Shaak Ti?”

“I request that we vote on each of these measures separately.”

“Very well,” Obi-Wan replied. “Anyone else?”

After a brief silence, Obi-Wan declared, “Then we shall proceed to the votes. The first measure to be voted on is an amendment to Jedi Order Regulation 714.25 eliminating the maximum age for a Force-sensitive to begin Jedi training. Master Allie, what say you?”

“Aye.”

“Master Fisto?”

“Aye.”

“Master Kcaj?”

Coleman Kcaj, one of four new appointments to the Council, thought for a long moment before answering, “Aye.”

“Master Kolar?”

Kolar shook his head. “Nay.”

“Master Koon?”

“Aye.”

“Master Mundi?”

“Aye.”

“Master Secura?”

“Aye.”

“Master Skywalker?”

Anakin nodded. “Aye.”

“Master Ti?”

“Aye.”

“Master Tiin?”

“Nay.”

“Master Unduli?”

“Aye.”

“Then by a margin of nine votes to two, the motion is adopted,” Obi-Wan announced. “The next measure is the repeal of Jedi Order Regulation 714.28, which prohibits contact between Jedi and their birth families. Master Allie, what say you?”

The polling went much the same, with only Kcaj voting differently than he had on the previous measure.

“By a margin of eight votes to three, the motion is adopted,” Obi-Wan pronounced. “The final measure for consideration at this time is the repeal of Jedi Order Regulation 716.39, which prohibits Jedi from forming emotional attachments. Master Allie, what say you?”

“Aye.”

“Master Fisto?”

“Aye.”

“Master Kcaj?”

There was no hesitation this time. “Nay.”

“Master Kolar?”

“Nay.”

“Master Koon?”

“Aye.”

“Master Mundi?”

“Due to a potential conflict of interest in this matter, I must abstain,” the Cerean master replied.

Obi-Wan nodded. “Very well. Master Secura?”

“Aye.”

“Master Skywalker?”

“Aye,” Anakin said enthusiastically.

“Master Ti?”

“Nay.”

“Master Tiin?”

“Nay.”

“Master Unduli?”

Unduli shook her head. While she was open to a possible reinterpretation of the Attachment Clause, repealing it entirely was too bold. “Nay.”

“With the tally thus far at five ayes and five nays, it falls to me to cast a deciding vote,” Obi-Wan said. “My vote is aye. By a margin of six votes to five with one abstention, the motion is adopted. That concludes the scheduled business for today. Does anyone have any new business to introduce?”

After a brief silence, he declared, “Very well, then. We stand adjourned.”

* * *

Dormé’s hoverchair floated into the sitting room of Padmé’s apartment on Coruscant. Even after close to two weeks in a bacta tank, she would still require several days of minimal exertion to fully recover from her ordeal at the hands of the Sith.

“Saché, do you mind?” she asked, stopping her hoverchair next to one of the sofas.

Saché smiled. “Not at all, sweetie.”

Saché came over to where Dormé had stopped her hoverchair and, after giving her fiancée a gentle kiss on the forehead, lifted her out of the hoverchair and placed her on the sofa before sitting down beside her.

“I’m sorry I was so harsh on you for your decision in that interrogation,” Dormé told her. “I just…”

“It’s alright,” Saché assured her. “I got it the first fifteen times you told me.”

“Saché, I…I was prepared to give my life to protect the secret of our lady’s location,” Dormé continued. “I was…I was disappointed that you apparently weren’t prepared to do the same, and my reaction was…I did not react to that nearly as well as I could have, let’s put it that way.”

“It’s okay, Dormé,” Saché repeated. “You’re not the only one who had that thought.”

Hearing this, Padmé, who was sitting next to Sabé on another sofa, turned to look at Saché worriedly. “What do you mean?”

“After Queen Neeyutnee’s funeral, Major Panaka pulled me aside and…_very strongly suggested_ that I should consider filing for retirement,” Saché revealed.

Padmé’s expression darkened. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”

“I didn’t want to say anything until I’ve decided whether I’m going to fight it,” Saché replied.

“Saché, Major Panaka was _way_ out of line,” Padmé told her. “Despite the relationship between the handmaidens and the Security Forces, they are entirely separate organizations. Handmaidens serve at the pleasure of their lady; if Major Panaka, Captain Typho, or anyone else in a position of authority in the Security Forces believes that one of my handmaidens is no longer fit to serve me, they may suggest to me that I dismiss her, but the final decision rests with me and me alone, and I see no reason why I should do so in this case.”

“Thank you, milady,” Saché responded.

Before the conversation could continue, the four of them heard the door to the apartment open. A few seconds later, Anakin and Obi-Wan entered the sitting room sporting broad grins.

“The Council approved the repeal of the Attachment Clause?” Padmé asked.

“It was a closer vote than we hoped, but yes,” Anakin confirmed.

“Oh, Ani, that’s great!” Padmé replied, getting up from the couch and going over to pull him down for a kiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sabé make her way over to Obi-Wan and do likewise.

When they were eventually forced to come up for air, Anakin lifted Padmé into his arms and carried her back to the sofa, the young senator giggling like a schoolgirl the entire way. Sabé also returned to her seat, leaving Obi-Wan standing between the two couches facing her.

“Aren’t you going to join me?” she asked playfully.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. “Sabé, you are one of the fiercest, most passionate women I know. When I found out you had been masquerading as the queen, and doing it so well no one noticed, my esteem for you only grew. After I explained to you that we would have to keep our love secret, you took it in stride and without complaint, simply treasuring what time we were able to have with each other. I never had to doubt whether you would remain faithful despite my long absences. Now that the Order’s rules allow us to be together openly, I feel the time is right for us to affirm our commitment to each other for the long term. Sabé, will you do me the honor of agreeing to become my wife?”

Sabé beamed. “Yes.”

Obi-Wan quickly closed the distance between them and hugged her tightly.

“Rabé?” Padmé called.

The handmaiden appeared in the doorway connecting the sitting room and the kitchen within a few seconds. “Yes, milady?”

“Could we have some bubbly, please?” Padmé requested.

Rabé nodded. “Right away, milady.”

As Obi-Wan and Sabé cuddled up next to each other on the sofa, the sound of the door chime echoed through the apartment.

“Threepio, would you get the door, please?” Padmé called.

“Certainly, Mistress Padmé,” the protocol droid replied, tottering off toward the entrance.

A few moments later, they heard Threepio say, “Chancellor Organa, greetings.”

When Organa entered the room, Retrac trailing in close behind him, Anakin stood and went over to shake his hand. “Chancellor, congratulations.”

“Thank you, Master Jedi,” Organa responded, “and I hear congratulations are in order for you as well for your appointment to the High Council.”

Anakin chuckled sheepishly. “Some days, I can hardly believe it myself.”

“Well, after Master Yoda was killed in an attack perpetrated by one of our own, and then his replacement turns out to be a paranoid right-wing extremist and winds up having to be institutionalized, the Order needs all the good publicity it can get,” Obi-Wan explained. “That’s also part of the reason I was chosen as grand master over Plo Koon. The HoloNet coverage of our exploits over the course of this war has made us well-known to the people, so placing us in positions of power within the Order allows people to feel like they can trust the Order more because they feel like they know its leaders.”

Anakin eyed him warily. “So that’s all my appointment was? A calculated PR move?”

“No, of course not,” Obi-Wan assured him quickly. “The Order desperately needs to bring itself into the modern age, and as one of the most progressive Jedi in the Order, you’re the perfect choice to spearhead that modernization process. You know what life on the outside is like better than any of us, so we’ll be relying on you to help us reform the Jedi way of life into something more similar to the life the average citizen would lead.”

“Sheltay, I see you’re recovering well,” Padmé remarked.

Retrac nodded. “I’m lucky that blaster bolt hit me where it did. A little more to the right and it easily could’ve taken my arm off entirely.”

Rabé chose that moment to reappear with the bubbly. Once all the glasses had been distributed, Padmé stood. “A toast, to Obi-Wan and Sabé on the occasion of their engagement.”

“Cheers,” they said as one, raising their glasses.

After Padmé sat back down, she turned to Anakin and asked, “How’s Ahsoka doing? I know you said a few days ago she was conflicted about the Council’s decision to let her knighting stand.”

“I think it’s more the fact that she was originally knighted by Windu for betraying us to him that’s bothering her than it is the fact that the Council decided that she was to be granted the rank of knight,” Anakin replied. “She’s not giving herself enough credit for the fact that she realized Windu was going down the Dark path long before anyone else in the Order realized it; she’s choosing to focus on the fact that she didn’t realize it until after she’d already let herself become his pawn. Once she understands that the important part is that she realized her mistake in time to correct it, I think she’ll be better able to accept that she really does deserve this.”

“Obi-Wan, congratulations on your impending nuptials,” Organa told him. “When did this happen?”

“A few minutes before you arrived, actually,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Well, it’s good to hear that there are still some constants in the midst of all this upheaval,” Organa said. “This has been a wild month.”

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. “Any word yet when the signing of the instrument of surrender will be?”

Organa shook his head. “The terms of the surrender still have to be ratified by the Separatist Parliament. There’s no indication they’ll reject the terms, but my sources tell me they’ve been instructed to drag their heels on ratification so the members of the Separatist Council can give their legal teams more time to prepare for their trials.”

“I see,” Obi-Wan responded. “How goes the process of returning the Office of the Chancellor’s emergency powers back to the Senate?”

Organa chuckled wryly. “_Slow_. I never realized until now that so many of the emergency powers that were granted to the Office of the Chancellor were granted in the form of constitutional amendments, which means they require a subsequent constitutional amendment to return those powers to the Senate.”

“Sounds like a real bureaucratic nightmare,” Obi-Wan remarked.

“It is, but that’s not the worst of it,” Organa continued. “Several of these emergency powers granted the Office of the Chancellor authority over agencies that had formerly been independent or semi-independent, and in the time Palpatine had control over them, he made the Office of the Chancellor so integral to their operation that to just immediately remove it from their organizational structure would throw these agencies into chaos. Executive boards and the like that Palpatine dissolved will have to be reestablished and have members appointed to them before these agencies’ operations can be safely extricated from those of the Office of the Chancellor.”

Meanwhile, Anakin turned to Padmé and asked, “So, Angel, now that we don’t have to hide our marriage anymore, what do you think about the possibility of having kids?”

“_I_ think that’s a discussion for the two of you to have when you’re _alone_,” Obi-Wan cut in, cueing a round of laughter.

Seeing that the conversation had hit a lull, Organa went over and turned on the holoscreen in the corner of the room.

“—with breaking news,” the anchor was saying. “The Jedi High Council just minutes ago passed a series of restructurings, the most notable of which collectively lift the prohibition on Jedi having families of their own. Let’s quickly go to our resident Jedi expert, Lissabet Remeyall. Lissabet, what do you think these changes mean for the future of both the Jedi Order and the galaxy as a whole?”

“Well, in the extreme short term, I think it means Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi just became the galaxy’s most eligible bachelors,” Remeyall joked.

Anakin quickly found himself unable to contain his laughter.

“Miss Remeyall,” Anakin said once he finally got himself back under control, “you have _no idea_ how wrong you are.”


End file.
